Referring to recent remarks made by Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar against the local media, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto said on Tuesday that politicians should refrain from speaking out against the press.
 
“I don’t think that any politician should insult the press, that is not what a responsible politician should be doing ,” he said.
 
Yamamoto said Afghanistan’s media professionals, women and men, are to be commended and celebrated for their courage and determination. “Be assured that the UN and international community are immensely grateful for your work,” he said  at an event in Kabul to mark World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday.
 
 “Freedom of speech, particularly the freedom of press, is what I consider to be one of the most important features in a mature and open society,” said Yamamoto.
 
“The many victories of media in Afghanistan have been hard won,” said the UN envoy, adding that “in the world rankings of press openness and freedom, Afghanistan, a nation embroiled in conflict, has managed to hold its place in world press freedom rankings even as fighting takes a heavy toll on journalists”.
 
At the same event, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said those who have been away from the country for some time have their own perception about the situation, but the fact is that today the situation has changed totally.
 
“When someone spends time in a different environment, he keeps some impressions from the environment, but when he enters the environment, he sees a different view,” Abdullah said.
 
Meanwhile, the deputy minister of information and culture Sayed Fazil Sancharaki slammed Hekmatyar’s remarks against the media and said no group was able to impose restrictions on the press in Afghanistan.
 
“After Islam, democracy and civil rights are among the basics of Afghanistan. There will be no compromise and this [democracy] will not be sacrificed,” Sancharaki added.
 
A number of journalist’s rights organizations said at the event that they are concerned about the threats to media in the country.
 
“The continuation of this situation would have repercussions on the activities of the media and already it has had some impact. As we know a number of journalists abandoned their profession and fled the country,” said Fahim Dashti, head of Afghanistan’s Journalists Union.
 
Reports indicate that at least 14 journalists were killed in 2016 and another two were killed this year.
 
Earlier this week, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, in his first public speech in about 20 years, said a number of media outlets were “cursed and evil”.