KABUL - Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah on Monday said the government was committed to preserving gains achieved during the past one and a half decades in the area of freedom of expression.
In his remarks on the occasion of the10th anniversary of English daily “Afghanistan Times,” Abdullah said the government was responsible to protect achievements in the area of press freedom during the past 15 years, thanks to efforts of journalists and media activists who lost their lives in the line of duty.
A statement from the CEO’s office quoted Abdullah as saying that the freedom of expression and free functioning of media outlets was one of the biggest achievements of the Afghan people and government over the past one and a half decades.
“Fifteen years ago when we started our journey to development leaving behind disputes and crisis, media outlets such as printing, visual and audio made progress and still despite many problems and challenges along their way, they are on the path to growth and development.”
The CEO said media outlets were the eyes and ears of the nascent Afghan democracy and had a vital role in institutionalizing citizenship values, democratic norms, ensuring security and peaceful coexistence.
Abdullah said efforts of the media outlets to bring about political, social and cultural changes were undeniable and their efforts were also seen directing public opinions towards stability, development and acceptance of each other. 
While pointing to the 10th anniversary of the privately-owned Afghanistan Times, the CEO said: “The daily emerged when we needed to provide a detailed picture to the world of Afghanistan’s political-social changes in an accurate, true and transparent manner.”
He said the Afghanistan Times with its impartial and fair reflection of news in English language gained credibility on national and international levels.
Abdullah, while calling media outlets as mirror of society, once again reiterated and stressed that the unity government was committed to supporting the freedom of expression and respecting citizenship values.  
Saboor Sareer, in-charge of Afghanistan Times Daily, said the daily from its start on 24, July 2006 has been making progress and was developing well,
He said the daily relied on its own income and has become self-sufficient and gained a special status as a free media outlet in the country.   
He said despite efforts the daily was still unable to find its place among regional English dailies, but he hoped the daily with the passage of time would also achieve that goal. (Pajhwok)