KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday characterised freedom of the press as a key principle of the democratic order in the country, pledging to protect the liberty.
In his message on World Press Freedom Day, Ghani cited support for the freedom of expression and enforcement of the constitution as achievements of in the past few years.
Afghanistan remained committed to supporting media organisations in accordance with the law of the land, he said. “Improving media outlets and institutionalising the freedom of expression needs cooperation between the government and media people.”
Ghani added it was an honour for Afghanistan to enjoy the freedom of expression at the regional level despite a challenging security situation. One Afghan media outlet had even won a medal from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), he noted.
In his message, Ghani expect media leaders to play an effective role in supporting journalists and enforcing the draft law for private news organisations.
“Without doubt, freedom of the press is one of the main pillars of our newly-established democracy. The journalists, who provide accurate and balanced investigative reports, can play a vital role in institutionalising democracy.
“The government is responsible for adopting necessary steps for enforcing research-based reports and recommendations,” the president concluded.
Separately, CEO Abdullah said the Afghans had fought for freedom of the press even when some people, parties and governments tried to silence their voices.
In a series of tweets, Abdullah pledged protecting media freedom. “I would like to tell media we are united, we are one nation, one voice and one group. You are the voice of our nation. I thank you."
Although Afghanistan had come a long way, there were still problems and challenging facing it, the CEO said. “We have recently witnessed attacks on media in Afghanistan…”
The unity government would continue working to respect Afghan media organisations for their work and tireless efforts throughout the last decade, the CEO promised.
However, he urged the media to avoid spreading wrong information. "Our country is facing so many problems today. Media should prioritise protecting national interests.” (Pajhwok)