Malalai’s assassination draws wide condemnation

KABUL (Pajhwok): The assassination of an Afghan female journalist in eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday drew strong condemnation on national and international levels.

Gunmen shot the journalist, Malalai Maiwand, 26, a television and radio presenter with Enikas Radio and TV, as she was traveling in her car in Jalalabad to work. Her driver was also killed.

President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the killing of Malalai and said attacks on Afghan journalists who work under tough circumstances to keep informed people about the situation in the country, region and the world were crimes against humanity and unforgiveable.

He said the followers of ignorance and brutality with such barbaric attacks wanted to limit the freedom of expression which was right of the Afghans under the constitution and had been achieved with numerous sacrifices of the countrymen and journalists.

He said the government was committed to protecting this right of people with the best of its ability.

The president ordered the authorities concerned to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack on Malalai and extended his condolences to the bereaved family and the organization where she worked.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan High Council for Reconciliation chairman Abdullah Abdullah condemned the killing of Malalai and called it the handiwork of the enemies of free speech.

He said it was an attack on the freedom of speech and urged the authorities concerned to find and arrest the killers.

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission also condemned the killing of the journalist and her driver in Nangarhar.

The commission asked the government to bring to justice the killers and take special measures for protection of journalists.

The State Ministry for Peace Affairs in a statement condemned the killing of Malalai and shared its grief with the journalist community.

Afghanistan Journalist Safety Committee head Abdul Mueed Hashmi condemned the killing of Malalai and accused the government of failing to protect journalists.

Afghanistan Independent Media Center head Ahmad Quraishi said Malalai was a brave journalist who worked in a dangerous environment.

“Attacks and threats to journalists have not subsided but have increased, we ask the government to ensure protection of journalists,” Quraishi said.

Free media advocacy group NAI condemned the killing of Malalai and asked the security organs to investigate the incident and share its outcome with the people as soon as possible.

The group said journalists faced increasing threats to their lives and they were unable to work in a free and secure environment.

It said the killing of Malalai sowed fear in female journalists who already faced threats and intimidation.

The US Embassy in Kabul, the European Union, NATO’s Civilian Representative, UNAMA and a number of foreign embassies and international organizations condemned the killing of Malalai.

So far this year, 10 journalists and media workers have been killed in Afghanistan and Maiwand’s death followed the killing of two other well-known media personalities including Radio Azadi journalist Ilyas Daee.

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