Afghanistan: Journalists in Paktia criticize limited access to Information

Kabul [Afghanistan], January 7 (ANI): As the Taliban’s crackdown on journalists and media personnel continue in Afghanistan, numerous journalists in Paktia province on Friday criticized limited access to information and claimed that this has a negative influence on their operations as their basic rights to work are being challenged under the regime of the organization, TOLOnews reported.

They claimed that they are not getting timely information from officials. “It is the responsibility of officials and relevant organizations to provide accurate and timely information to the media,” said a reporter, Abdul Rahman Wayand. The journalists urged the authorities to fulfill their duty to grant access to information. A number of journalists in the Afghan province also complained that their issues are no longer being addressed in the nation since certain departments refuse to provide the media with any information on certain cases, according to TOLOnews.

“Some departments are not sharing information in some cases with journalists. We want this problem addressed,” said Habibullah Sarab, a journalist.
Several humanitarian organizations have called out the violations against journalists in Afghanistan. In the wake of the excessive rise in crime against journalists in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated the human rights violation of at least 200 reporters in its report, earlier in November.

Taking to Twitter, UNAMA said, “Human rights abuses of more than 200 reporters in Afghanistan recorded by UNAMA since August 2021. Record high numbers include arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment, threats and intimidation.”
“Media in #Afghanistan is in peril. Let us all help #ProtectJournalists #EndImpunity,” UNAMA tweeted.

Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in the middle of August of last year, they have reversed advancements in women’s rights and media freedom, reversing the country’s efforts to promote gender equality and freedom of speech.

According to a report by the South Asian Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) over 45 per cent of journalists have quit since the terrorist outfit assumed power. The ever-increasing restrictions against media in Afghanistan have also drawn widespread criticism globally with the United Nations (UN) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) decrying the arrests, demanding the Taliban stop harassing local journalists and stifling freedom of speech through continued detentions and threats.