KABUL (SW) – There are no issues with the media related laws of the previous government, said an official of the Islamic Emirate.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and deputy director of the Ministry of Information and Culture, said officials have studied the media law, which was drafted in the previous government, and there had been no flaws found in the law. He made the remarks at a meeting with the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee in Kabul on Wednesday.
“We studied the previous media law, which did not have any shortcomings,” the Bakhtar state news agency wrote on Twitter, quoting Zabihullah Mujahid.
Mujahid said that the Islamic Emirate urges the media to consider national interests, Islamic values and national unity in their publications. He said he was confident that the media offices would pay attention to these issues.
He added that the Islamic Emirate is seeking to revive a commission in order to prevent “misunderstandings” and, if any problems arise, to resolve them through this commission.
Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate supports any sound criticism by the media, but the media must refrain from spreading rumors.
Zabihullah Mujahid further added that the media conveys the voice of the nation to government officials, which is why the Emirate supports the media.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee issued a statement saying that Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, told the meeting of the committee that the Commission will be set up soon to address media problems and violations. The statement quoted Zabihullah Mujahid as saying that after the formation of this commission, no institution or ministry in the Islamic Emirate will interfere in the work of the media.
“Work is underway on the Information Access Commission and the Information Access Law, and after investigations, the results will be announced and work will begin,” Mujahid said. He added that women can work freely in the media by observing “Islamic and national principles.”
Dozens of national and local media outlets have been shut down since the takeover of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and journalists have been severely restricted.
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