Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union
On Saturday 14/8/1391 the president had invited more than hundred journalists, analysts and the media activists in the presidential palace and expressed his concerns about the media coverage of the issues related to the year 2014.
Mr. President was insisting that the media can continue the criticism of the government and him, but he asked the media to stop confusing people’s mind regarding the withdrawal of the foreign troops in 2014.
President said if the concerns of the people are being escalated and a dreadful environment is built, it will not be harmful only to people of Afghanistan but it will damage the media as well.
President said: “If we don’t have a free country, you will not have free media and freedom of speech.”
The Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union acknowledges what Mr. President said about the escalation of people’s tensions about the issues of the year 2014 while believing that possibly some circles in the presidential palace and the ministry of information and culture would misuse the comments of the president and will try to put some restrictions and limitations on freedom of media in the country. These concerns of the Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union are rooted in the recent activities which show the efforts of the Ministry of Information and Culture and some conservative circles inside Presidential palace for limiting free media.
The representatives of the Afghanistan Journalists’ National Union who were participating the gathering on Saturday explained and shared the issue with the president while Mr. Abdul Karim Khuram Head of Presidential Office and Mr. Sayad Makhdum Raheen Information and Culture Minister were also present.
The Afghanistan Journalists’ National Union emphasizes once more that any effort for the restriction of the free media and freedom of speech in the country is not acceptable for the Journalist community and they will resist before it.
Afghanistan Journalists’ National Union
Executive Council
