KABUL (Pajhwok): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting media outlets across the country.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Information and Culture reiterated IEA’s pledge after Afghanistan’s expulsion from the Media Freedom Coalition.
Committed to freedom of expression, the ministry remained supportive of media organisations and access to information in line with Islamic values, said Abdul Matin Qane.
While denouncing what he called a unilateral decision, the official said the coalition was unaware of ground realities in Afghanistan.
He asked the global fraternity to reflect the facts and acknowledge media activity, freedom of expression and access to information in the country.
Slamming the Media Freedom Coalition’s decision as regrettable, Qane promised the IEA would continue to back the freedom of expression.
In a statement on Saturday, MFC announced the revocation of Afghanistan’s membership.
Canada and the Netherlands, as the co-chairs of the MFC, said the decision regarding Afghanistan had been made in consultation with member states.
Afghanistan became a member of MFC in January 2020. The coalition claimed the Taliban had imposed serious restrictions on media freedom.
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