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Govt, UK and Canada stand firm on preserving media freedom

Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs for Strategy and Policies Sediq Sediqqi said in a tweet Wednesday afternoon that the Afghan government will deter any attempt by the enemy to silence Afghanistan’s media.
He said: “The Afghan government will deter enemies’ any attempt to falter or silence our media.
“We will stand firm to uphold one of our best gains of the past twenty years with our international allies who helped us to achieve it. No to dark ages [of the Taliban regime],” he said.
This comes after a joint press release was issued by embassies of the UK and Canada in Afghanistan on Wednesday marking the first anniversary of Afghanistan signing the Global Pledge on Media Freedom and joining the Media Freedom Coalition.
The Coalition is a partnership of 37 countries working to defend media freedom wherever it is threatened.
As co-chairs of the Global Campaign for Media Freedom, the UK and Canada stated it was reflecting Wednesday on the progress made to defend media freedom in Afghanistan.
“In July 2020, the Afghan Lower House of Parliament rejected amendments to the Mass Media Law, which would have had concerning implications for Afghan press freedom.
“Members of Afghanistan’s media community came together in solidarity, and we welcome the government’s decision to consult with them on any future changes,” the statement read.
However, the embassies stated that the threats to the safety of journalists and media professionals in the country remains one of the obstacles to the full implementation of the right to freedom of expression in Afghanistan.
“Unfortunately, Afghan journalists have faced growing levels of violence and insecurity over the past year. Members of the media, human rights activists, and other prominent members of civil society have been threatened, injured, or killed in targeted attacks – many of which are attributable to the Taliban and their proxies.
“We condemn all acts of violence, threats, censorship and intimidation towards those who are fighting to create a safer, fairer Afghanistan.” the statement from the embassies read.
It also noted that media outlets work tirelessly to uncover the truth and bravely report on it.
As such, “there must be full and transparent investigations into these heinous targeted attacks.
“All parties to the conflict in Afghanistan have a moral responsibility to end violence as a demonstration of their commitment to peace. We expect parties to the Afghan peace negotiations, including the Taliban, to publicly condemn the targeted attacks on members of the media, civil society organizations and the government.
“We also call for greater support from each side for the protection of journalists and the freedom of expression.
“Freedom of media and expression is a cornerstone of a democratic society and is essential for the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms. Attacks on media freedom are attacks on human rights,” the statement read.
The embassies stated that the vibrant Afghan media scene has been one of the biggest successes of the last two decades, and, according to the British and Candadian embassies it cannot be allowed to falter in the face of growing insecurity.
The UK and Canada stated their reiterate their commitment to working collaboratively with Afghanistan to defend its wide-ranging media landscape and protect its courageous journalists.
“Where media representatives are free to do their work safely, societies are more prosperous and resilient,” the statement read.
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Afghan govt should be held accountable for its promises: Iran’s envoy

Iran’s special envoy for Afghanistan Hassan Kazemi Qomi says Moscow format meeting was held at a time when Afghanistan is still an important issue in the foreign policy of the region and the world and that the Islamic Emirate is accountable for what it promises.
Speaking to Iranian media, Qomi said that Afghanistan’s neighboring countries have come to the conclusion to change the conditions in Afghanistan in a collective move in cooperation with the caretaker government’s officials.
“In the field of regional initiatives at the Moscow format meeting, the countries of the region came to the conclusion that they should create a collective movement to help each other, to help improve living and economic conditions, and to help support the political process,” said Qomi.
He, however, stated that the US and its allies destroyed Afghanistan’s economic infrastructure and security foundations during their presence in the country.
According to him, although the US has withdrawn from Afghanistan, supporting Daesh is one of Washington’s priorities.
“Even though the Americans left today, they are still doing their mischief, supporting Daesh is still on the agenda of the Americans,” he added.
The caretaker government of Afghanistan has tried to fight against drugs and root out terrorism, but the danger of terrorists and drug trafficking still exists for the country’s neighbors, he said.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate says the neighboring countries, including Iran should not interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
“We ask all the neighboring countries not to interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan in any way, instead they should try to harmonize all their views with the Islamic Emirate,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for IEA.
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Paktika radio station back on air after 2-year break

A local radio station, Milma, in Paktika province has resumed operations after a two-year break, the radio officials said.
The radio officials said they took this decision at the request of their audience, adding that they will expand their broadcasting coverage to other provinces as well.
Milma radio reportedly had broadcasts for the southeastern provinces in the previous government.
Meanwhile, many media outlets have ceased operations due to economic problems over the last two years.
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Pakistan police detain 800 Afghan refugees in Islamabad suburbs

Pakistan police have detained 800 Afghan refugees in the suburbs of Islamabad, out of which 375 face deportation due to a lack of proper documentation.
“Islamabad police launched a search operation in Bara Kahu, Trinol, Mahar Abadian, Golra and Shams Colony and arrested 800 Afghan nationals,” police said.
“Four hundred Afghan nationals were later released on producing the proof of residence,” officials said. “375 other Afghan nationals had no identity papers, while 25 remaining Afghans have been detained till verification of their identity documents,” police further said.
“Lists of Afghans were compiled on the basis of secret information before the operation,” police said.
“Several criminal Afghan residents have also been pointed out and the operation will further step up in coming days,” officials said. Police said that the authorities have decided to deport 375 arrested Afghan nationals from Pakistan.
According to a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan has surged to 3.7 million as of June this year, with a mere 1.3 million of them officially registered with the authorities. Approximately 775,000 unregistered Afghans are currently residing in the country.
As per Pakistan media outlets, a major 68.8 percent of Afghan citizens in Pakistan have settled in urban or semi-urban areas, while the remaining 31.2 percent are disturbed across 54 different regions including villages.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) considers the detention and alleged torture of Afghan immigrants in Pakistan to be against international standards and says that it has discussed this issue with Pakistani authorities many times through the Afghan embassy in Pakistan, and that it has been emphasized that Afghan immigrants in the country must be treated according to international laws.
At the same time, the Ministry of Refugees and Returnees says that to solve this problem, they are in contact with the Pakistani authorities to stop the process of arresting migrants and release the imprisoned Afghans.
Experts say that currently immigrants in Pakistan are facing many problems and challenges, and to solve these challenges, there is a need for diplomatic talks between Kabul and Islamabad based on international migration laws.
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