Afghan foreign ministry calls on Gov to cease pressure on media

KABUL, Dec 19: Afghan authorities should stop pressuring the media and allow them to work freely for the benefit of the country, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai said.
“The problems of the media should be heard, their voices should be heard, and the environment should be conducive for them to carry out their work freely,” Stanekzai was quoted by the Afghan news agency Ariana News as saying at a seminar on “The Role of Media in Strengthening the Islamic System” in Kabul on Wednesday.
Stanekzai also emphasised the role of the media in global propaganda, adding that the authorities should establish closer cooperation with the media.
“There should be no gap between the government and the media. The government and the media should work as one,” Stanezkai was quoted by Tolo News as saying.
At the same time, Afghan Deputy Information and Culture Minister Mahajer Farahi said at the seminar that the ministry was open to cooperation with media outlets and had never adopted a confrontational approach towards them, Tolo News reported.
Earlier in the year, authorities in several Afghan provinces imposed restrictions on media operations by banning them from broadcasting music and images of any living beings. Some radio and television stations were reportedly shut down and journalists detained by counterintelligence agents.(UNI)

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