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UN chief calls for global community to ‘shield reporters’
Marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on Wednesday, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called on governments and the global community to take necessary steps to shield reporters from imprisonment, violence and death.
In his goodwill message, Guterres noted that a free press remained vital to functioning democracy, exposing wrongdoing, navigating the complex world and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said more than 70 journalists have been killed this year simply for fulfilling this role in society. “Most of these crimes go unsolved,” he added.
He also noted that a record number of journalists are incarcerated today, while threats of imprisonment, violence and death keep growing.
“As we mark its 10th anniversary, I call on governments and the international community to take the necessary steps to protect our journalists. We must end a common culture of impunity and enable journalists to do their essential work.”
According to the International Press Institute (IPI), in 2021 alone, 45 journalists were killed across the world, 28 slain in retaliation for their work, three killed while covering armed conflicts, one assassinated in line of duty, two died while covering civil unrest, and 11 deaths are under investigation.
The top four nations with the most killings of media practitioners in the year under review were Mexico (seven), Afghanistan (six), India (six) and Democratic Republic of Congo (three).
Meanwhile, UNAMA said Wednesday that human rights abuses of more than 200 reporters in Afghanistan have been recorded since August 2021.
“Record high numbers include arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment, threats and intimidation,” UNAMA tweeted adding that “media in Afghanistan is in peril”.
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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