Removal of national flag brand color from NRT log sparks public outrage

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan’s national flag’s brand colours removal from the logo of National Radio Television (NRT) has sparked strong public reaction.

In line with Islamic Emirate Afghanistan (IEA) leadership direction, the national flag colour brand had been removed from NRT logo and replace with white colour that represent the IEA flag’s brand colour.

In an official letter to the Prime Minister Office, the IEA leadership issued instruction regarding change in the colour of NRT logo and to be replaced with another colour which is not subject to the masses objection.

In addition the letter said that in some background music in some programs should be converted to Tarana .

The letter from IEA leadership also objected Arabic style cladding of some newscasters and urged the use of Afghani style outfits.

After the issuance of this letter the national flag three brand colour removed from the NRT logo and replaced with white colour sparking public outrage and anger.

Former NRT Director Mohammad Ismael Miakhel on his facebook wrote: “Taliban converted Afghanistan into the cemetery of values and customs, today they removed national flag from NRT logo and tomorrow they will remove it from the Cricket Borad. Taliban damages themselves by doing so.”

Former Nangarhar Governor Ziaulhaq Amarkhel on his facebook page wrote: “Government should select priorities and refrain from action that causes gap between government and masses and harm national unity. In fact, national flag doesn’t belong to any specific party but it represented the entire Afghan nation and all were bound to respect and protect it.”

Writer and journalist on his facebook page wrote: “Repetition of bitter experiences, new regime after the fall of previous regime commit such mistakes that people forget the earlier wrong doings, they commit extreme action that people forget the earlier extreme actions.”

Daily the increasing censorship of and curbs bring the new government closer to its previous wrong experiences.

NRT Director Ahmad Waseeq told BBC it is natural every media outlet, companies and educational institute change their brand colour with the passage of time. NRT also worked to change its brand colour from the past few weeks and finally it changed its brand colour of logo and many other programs.

Pajhwok tried to reach to Waseeq and gets his comment in this regard but he was not contacted.

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