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Senators call on govt to take all necessary steps to safeguard journalists
Senators in the Meshrano Jirga, the Upper House of Parliament, said Sunday government needs to step in and take constructive steps to safeguard the lives of journalists.
They said the spate of targeted killings of journalists in the past few months is shocking and government needs to clarify its stance.
Some senators stated that the attacks on journalists is an attack on freedom of expression and the voice of the people, and this great achievement should not be sacrificed.
“The continuation of targeted killings, especially of journalists, has caused serious concern among the people, and the government should take all possible measures to prevent the killing of journalists, and if the Taliban is not involved in these cases, the government need to find clues as to who assassinated the journalists,” said Meshrano Jirga Speaker Fazl Hadi Muslimyar.
“Regarding the terrorists, I must say that the press is the fourth pillar of the system. They [journalists] are trying to provide awareness to the people, and the enemies are trying to target them, and the government must take serious measures to ensure the security of journalists.” said Sayed Safiullah Hashimi, another senator.
“The killing of journalists and the country’s elite is shocking, and the government must take a stand to protect the lives of journalists, and the perpetrators of the murders of journalists must be punished and it must be determined who are behind these assassinations,” said Mohammad Hanif Hanafi, another senate member.
“The Meshrano Jirga is in support of journalists and calls on the government to create a course of action for the safety of journalists to ensure their security, and we will issue a statement in support of journalists.” Muslimyar added.
This comes after five journalists have been killed in the past two months alone – each in a separate attack.
So far no group has claimed responsibility.
However, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said in a statement on Sunday that its forces foiled an assassination attempt against a Khost journalist.
According to the NDS, the Haqqani network, in collusion with other terrorist groups, is seeking to target media activists and recently hired two people to assassinate a TV reporter in Khost. However they were arrested by security forces before executing their plan.
Hundreds of former U.S. officials are calling on Washington to cancel a reported plan to relocate Afghan refugees from Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In an open letter addressed to the U.S. State Department, more than 600 former civilian and military officials, along with around 100 organizations, urged the administration to stop the proposed transfer. The letter was sent to Marco Rubio.
The signatories argue that the Afghan nationals in question were brought to Qatar by the United States to complete legal immigration procedures after undergoing extensive security vetting. The letter states that while the individuals were cleared for resettlement in the United States, they are now being considered for relocation to Congo, a country for which they were never screened.
“Those individuals were vetted and approved for the United States, not for the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the letter reads.
According to the report, more than 1,100 Afghan allies and their family members are currently being held at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar under U.S. supervision. Around 800 of them have already completed all security checks and received authorization to travel to the United States. More than half are women and children, and many have remained in transit limbo for over 15 months.
The situation has drawn criticism from former officials and policy observers, who describe the proposed relocation as a betrayal of Afghan allies who supported U.S. missions and risked their lives during the war in Afghanistan. Critics also warn that the move could damage U.S. credibility with future partners.
Several members of the U.S. Congress had previously expressed opposition to the proposal, cautioning that it could significantly undermine trust in the United States among its allies.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, has said that no country should interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, stressing that it is up to Afghans themselves to bring about any change in their country.
In a post on X, Durrani said Afghans should be “left to their own devices” and that they would eventually “find the way out” of their challenges.
However, he warned that instability inside Afghanistan could have negative consequences for neighbouring countries, adding that Afghan leaders and their supporters should take responsibility to address such risks.
Durrani described his remarks as a simple expression of goodwill and best wishes for the Afghan people and their future.
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Uzbekistan and Japan discuss joint projects for Afghanistan’s socio-economic development
The Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, has met with Tetsuya Yamada, Director General of the South Asia Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to discuss cooperation on Afghanistan-related development projects.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides focused on the implementation of joint initiatives aimed at supporting the socio-economic development of Afghanistan.
During the meeting, the Japanese side praised Uzbekistan’s “pragmatic approach” toward Afghanistan, as well as the infrastructure developed in the border city of Termez.
Japan also expressed interest in utilizing the Termez facilities for future humanitarian and development projects in Afghanistan, particularly in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture, private sector development, and counter-narcotics efforts.
Both sides emphasized that such cooperation is aimed at improving the living conditions and overall well-being of the Afghan people.
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