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Reporters Without Borders condemns arrests, harassment of Afghan journalists
Reporters without Borders has condemned the arrest of two journalists by NDS forces in Zabul and Khost and the harassment of Pajhwok news agency by Afghan government officials, calling on President Ghani and VP Amrullah Saleh, to abide by the media law.
A report released by the Reporters without Borders said that Mahboobullah Hakimi, a correspondent for Radio Bayan in Zabul province, had been detained by the National Security Forces on the 11th of Saratan, Persian Calendar.
The report added that Mr. Hakimi’s accusation is publishing a comment on his Facebook page and calling President Ghani an infidel. Prior to his arrest, however, the reporter had released a video calling the comment a result of his page being hacked. According to the report, in a video released by the National Security Service, Hakimi confessed to the message and apologized.
“The Afghan government is putting pressure on freedom of expression, and by interrupting or at least opposing access to information and disrupting it, it is putting pressure on freedom of expression and the government is not following its commitments and the observance of the law is signed,” said Mujeeb Khalwatgar, executive director of Nai, Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan.
According to the report, on the 11th of Saratan, the National Security Forces of Khost Province inspected the home of Forough Jan Mangal, a local reporter and colleague of Reuters, and his brother, Saifullah Hayat, a representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists and taken them to the NDS in a disrespectful manner.
“The statement by Reporters without Borders against the misconduct of some government agencies against journalists is true and clear,” said Siddiqullah Tawhidi, director of Tawhidi Lawsuits of the Committee to Protect Journalists. “It does not take into account the complaints of journalists. It causes serious problems for journalists with illegal decisions and actions.”
Reporters say that in addition to the threat and lack of safety for journalists, the lack of access to information is one of the more serious challenges that the government pays little attention to.
Reporters without Borders says Pajhwok Afghan News recently came under direct and indirect pressure from government officials following the release of a report on the smuggling and sale of 32 ventilators to Pakistan.
Pakistan says communities living along the Afghanistan-Pakistan Durand Line want peace and stability, despite ongoing security concerns in the region.
Speaking during a weekly media briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said there are no major issues between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding that residents on both sides of the Durand Line want peaceful relations and greater regional stability.
However, Andrabi claimed that terrorism originating from Afghan territory continues to undermine peace efforts.
He said Islamabad believes militant activity crossing from Afghanistan remains a significant obstacle to improving regional security and bilateral ties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected such allegations, maintaining that no militant group is allowed to use Afghan soil to threaten neighboring countries.
Andrabi also said Pakistan remains diplomatically engaged on regional matters involving Afghanistan, Iran, India, and Somalia, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain Islamabad’s preferred means of resolving disputes.
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Afghanistan-Gambia ties discussed during Doha meeting
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Doha, has met with Omar Jah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to Qatar, to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from the Afghan embassy in Doha, Jah also oversees Gambian diplomatic affairs related to Afghanistan.
The meeting focused on Afghanistan-Gambia relations, the current security situation in Afghanistan, and potential investment opportunities in the country.
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and head of the Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party, has said that if capable statesmen had been in power, people living on both sides of the Durand Line could have moved freely across the line.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Achakzai said that countries with histories of major conflict, including Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, now maintain far more open borders despite past wars. He said that in many such regions, only a “paper line” remains, with limited border restrictions.
Drawing comparisons with the disputed Durand Line boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Achakzai argued that a similar arrangement could have been possible in South Asia.
“What is the problem here? A Punjabi could dance in Kandahar and a Pashtun could come here. Even if we are not formally one country, we could have effectively functioned like one,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the later U.S.-led intervention, saying Afghanistan has the right to seek war reparations from those countries to support reconstruction efforts.
Achakzai further criticised the treatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan, alleging that individuals in cities including Lahore and Karachi have faced detention and deportation.
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