Some Afghan journalists have complained about the growing restrictions on media access to information, saying that these limitations are hindering their journalistic activities.
Ziarmal Hotaki, a journalist in Kabul, says some of the de-facto government’s spokespersons refuse to share information with journalists, while others provide incomplete or insufficient data. He adds, “Spokespersons from some ministries don’t cooperate; last week, I sent a message to one of them, but they didn’t respond. Our request is for spokespersons to fully cooperate with the media.”
Zakia, another journalist in Kabul, says, “Some ministries and agencies offer very limited cooperation or don’t share any information at all. Even when they do share, they don’t provide the necessary information in a timely manner.”
However, Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, says that the authorities share information with the media in accordance with policy and when the information is available.
“Some issues are not addressed due to security and policy concerns; in these cases, the media should exercise patience and take the policies into account. Any information that is available will certainly be shared,” he explained.
On the other hand, Khobaib Ghofran, spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture, assures the media that the ministry is continuously working to eliminate the challenges related to access to information. “Recently, the Ministry of Information and Culture launched a coordination program between the media, journalists, officials, and spokespersons in all zones. We have broader plans in place to address these issues.”
Since the rise of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan, journalists’ access to information has been restricted, and media activities are facing significant limitations.
