Support Afghan journalists in exile, stakeholders asked

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Stakeholders have been urged to join hands for helping exiled Afghan journalists deal with current humanitarian challenges.

At a conference in Islamabad on Monday, speakers underlined collective efforts to alleviate the plight of Afghan journalists who fled to Pakistan after the 2021 regime change in their homeland.

As many of them have already been resettled in European and other countries, scores are still waiting in Pakistan for their destinations and face an uncertain future.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Advocacy and Assistance Director Antoine Bernard called for stakeholders to take concerted steps to address the challenges being faced by the exiled journalists.

In a video message, he urged key stakeholders, including the Pakistan government, embassies and the UN, to join hands to support the Afghan journalists.

The Pak-Afghan Journalists Solidarity Network (PAJSN) and Freedom Network jointly organised the Stakeholders Conference on Assisting Afghan Media Practitioners in Pakistan.

Afghan journalist Sher Shah Hamdard said space for independent journalism had significantly shrunken in his country.

He claimed: “Afghan media workers are facing various restrictions, and even their lives were at stake. Hundreds of them and their families have moved to Pakistan, awaiting resettlement in third countries.”

He resented the slow-paced processing of visas for Afghan journalists at different embassies in Islamabad.

Speakers voiced concern at police searches of Afghan journalists. Even those who have renewed Pakistani visas remain confined to their rooms to escape arrests.

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