Cabinet approves media rights and protection bill

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved the bill for protection of media outlets and workers’ rights among many other drafts, a statement from the Presidential Palace said on Tuesday.

The statement said Justice Minister Abdul Basir Anor presented the draft bill to the joint committee of media and government during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Ashraf Ghani late on Monday.

The bill includes articles for protection of media workers, response to violence cases, reducing violence against media and maintaining rights of media people, Anor said.

Without giving details, the statement said the Cabinet approved the bill.

This comes after 30 Afghan media outlets in a joint statement said they had no access to information held by the government.

Journalists say cases of violence media workers faced were not responded and Afghanistan has gone backwards in giving access to information over the last few years.

The statement said the Cabinet also approved the prisons regulatory law, amendment to the 50^th article of law on government companies, 10 cases of international accords, land related documents in Kapisa, Kabul, Daikundi, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Parwan, Herat, Baghlan, Kunduz, Maidan Wardak and Balkh provinces and some other documents.

However, the source did not provide details about the documents approved.

mds