Eye on the News [email protected] Truthful, Factual and Unbiased Vol:XI Issue No:269 Price: Afs.20 www.afghanistantimes.af www.facebook.com/ afghanistantimeswww.twitter.com/ afghanistantimes WEDNESDAY . MAY 03. 2017 -Sawar 13, 1396 HS AT News Report AT News Report But the culture ministry says that it makes efforts to decrease vio- KABUL: Afghanistan’s media KABUL: Violence against journal- lence cases against journalists. The professionals, who continue to ists is in highest record in 2016 and chief executive also says that the work against immense challenges, the first quarters of 2017 with 128 government is firm on its commit- are to be commended for their cases from which 14 are murder, ments in supporting journalists courage and determination, the UN according to reports. The chief ex- and gives priority to fulfill the law Secretary-General’s Special Rep- ecutive expressed concerns over the of information access. Abdullah resentative for Afghanistan said at increasing violence against journal- Abdullah says that the current sit- a Kabul event marking World Press ists, but said Tuesday that the na- uation of violence against journal- Freedom Day. “Freedom of tional unity government is commit- ists is unacceptable and government speech, particularly the freedom ted to the principles of the free- works to change the situation. of press, is what I consider to be dom of speech. Journalists from However, the UN representative different provinces are in Kabul on for Afghanistan believes that Af- one of the most important features ghan journalists are facing several in a mature, open society,” said the occasion of the media interna- tional day to share their problems problems, but have got achieve- Tadamichi Yamamoto, who joined ments despite the problems. “De- Afghan officials, including Chief face to face with the government officials. The recent findings of the velopment in media and freedom Executive Abdullah Abdullah, in of speech is important in the past commending the work of media open media association say that 2016 was the most violent year for decade in spite that Afghanistan is professionals across the country. journalists in which besides killing not a suitable country for journal- “The many victories of media in of them, they faced threat cases, ists. And I hope the current prob- Afghanistan have been hard won,” Afghanistan’s former President week with RT in Moscow. arrests and the government cen- lems will be solved.” Afghan jour- said the UN envoy, who is also Hamid Karzai has once again raised In a question about the billions sors. The journalists’ rights orga- nalists say that government offi- head of the UN Assistance Mis- doubts over the US’s counter-ter- of dollars invested in Afghanistan nizations say that Afghan report- cials refuse to provide information sion in Afghanistan (UNAMA). rorism strategy in Afghanistan, by the U.S and the loss of thou- ers are deprived of safety in work. to them and even threaten them. “In the world rankings of press saying Afghans continue to suffer sands of lives of westerners, openness and freedom, Afghani- through “terrorism and extremism” Karzai said he does not know the stan, a nation embroiled in conflict, despite the United States and its chances of that happening on the has managed to hold its place in western allies having intervened in American side, but as an Afghan Graft hampers Afghanistan’s world press freedom rankings even the country fifteen years ago. citizen, he maintains he has the as fighting takes a heavy toll on “We need peace in Afghanistan right to seek peace for his nation. development: EU journalists.” The UN envoy said and we need success against ter- “The chances of that happen- Afghanistan’s media professionals, rorism in Afghanistan, the U.S ing on the American side, I don’t KABUL : The European Union perately longing for,” the EU women and men, are to be com- came into Afghanistan in the name know; looks less and less likely; (EU) on Tuesday said the Afghan Union special representative said. mended and celebrated for their of fighting extremism and terror- but I as an Afghan have the right to government, taking major steps in Ambassador Franz-Michael Mell- courage and determination. “Be ism. Fifteen years on, do we have seek peace for my country and to the fight against corruption, needs bin said: “Corruption fuels the in- assured that the UN and interna- less of it or more of it, we a lot do all I can to bring that peace, to do more to curb the menace. surgency and will erode the ability tional community are immensely more of it, so obviously we failed what should I do is advise the “Corruption fuels the insurgency to progress towards peace, some- grateful for your work,” he said. there and the victim is the Afghan Americans as I have been doing; and will erode the ability to thing this war-torn country is des- Mr Yamamoto went on to note people and our peace,” Hamid what should I do is remind the progress towards peace – some- perately longing for. that progress has been made in Af- Karzai said in an interview this Americans, what should...P2 thing this war torn country is des- (Pajhwok) ghanistan even as there has been an erosion of media freedoms in some traditional democracies. “In MoD considers US F-16 jets ‘vital’ for Afghanistan the region,” he said, “Afghanistan stands out as a leader in openness The Afghan Defense Ministry instead of one. These Jets are vital for [Afghani- and creativity.” The Afghan pub- (MoD) on Tuesday confirmed the stan],” said the Deputy Spokesman for the Af- lic now has access to an estimated departure of F-16 fighter jets along ghan Defense Ministry, Mohammad Radmanish. 70 TV stations and 175 radio sta- with U.S. airmen from their base The F-16 fighters jets are expected to be used tions, as well as a vibrant and grow- in Italy to Bagram Airfield in north against the Taliban and Islamic State insurgents in ing social media scene. However, of Afghanistan. Earlier, the Reso- Afghanistan. Following the issue, a number of U.S. the UN official noted, the challeng- lute Support informed in a tweet military officials consider Pakistan, Iran and Rus- es of working in a conflict zone are about arrival of F-16 fighters jets sia as neighbors of Afghanistan with “bad inten- “immense,” as reporters put them- to Afghanistan. tions” that support the Taliban to weaken the gov- selves at great risk....P2 “It is better to have two jets ernment. (ATN) Dozens killed in internal clash between Daesh, Taliban AT Monitoring Desk KABUL: The ongo- ing clashes between Daesh and Taliban militants in eastern Nangarhar province, at least 21 Taliban AT News Report HIA party said that negotia- insurgents and seven Daesh militants were killed KABUL: The government on tion is currently on card with the in the past two days, local officials claimed on Tuesday has set free 55 political government over the release of 13 Tuesday. Provincial Governor Spokesman, At- inmates of the Hezb-e-Islami from remained inmates, hopefully they taullah Khogyani, said that the clashes stated on Pul-e-Charkhi prison. These pris- would release in nearest time. Sunday about 1:00amlocal times after Daesh mil- oners were about to be freed on The party also informed re- itants launched offensive against Taliban insur- Monday, but the government post- garding the arrival of their leader, gents. He added, in addition to deaths nine other poned a planned ceremony for the Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to Kabul on militants from both sides have been wounded. “A release of the first group of pris- Thursday. nine-year-old girl was also killed during the clash- oners belonging to the HIA party Dr. Nadir Afghan, a member es between the two sides and five other civilians for unknown reason. of HIA media group, told Pajhwok were sustained injuries,” Khogyani said. Howev- Based on agreement, between Afghan News that that the release er, there is not comment made public by the ter- government and HIA party, 68 of 68 prisoners had been premised rorists groups. The eastern Nangarhar province prisoners of the party would have with them, and the HIA rejected is one among the volatile provinces where Daesh been freed on Monday, but 13 of the release of 55 prisoners instead and Taliban are plotting terrorist and destructive them were not released. of 68. activities in Achin, Kot, Nazyan and Charparhar However, this move upset Ahmad Farzan, a spokesper- districts of the province. The United States has HIA delegation that went to Pul- son for the joint government-HIA declared that the Islamic State would be rooted e-Charkhi prison to receive their agreement implementation com- out during the ongoing year of 2017. The Afghan 68 inmates. In reaction, the HIA mission, confirmed the president security forces have already launched operation party rejected to receive 55 pris- had approved the release of 55 HIA codename, ‘Hamza’ to chase insurgency in east- oners instead of 68. prisoners. ern parts of the country. WASHINGTON : In the so-called 2015 and had been entrenched in remove and revoke their status as a major non- war on terrorism, Afghanistan is the eastern part of the country. NATO US ally...” The Pakistan-based Haqqani in a mess, a top American lawmaker The ISIS presence in Afghanistan Network, he claimed, was directly linked to both says, alleging Pakistan continues had further complicated the coun- Al Qaida and Taliban. He held the network re- to use proxies against its neighbour try's tourist landscape, with the sponsible for more American deaths in the region and give terrorists safe havens.