President Ashraf Ghani launched Journalists Support Fund on Monday, as he called on the owners of private media outlets to obey the labor law of the country and donate to the fund.
President Ghani made a donation of five million Afghanis to the fund from his private asset as 10 million more will be given by the Ministry of Finance. He also called on investors and traders of the country to donate to the fund.
“I’ll contribute five million Afghanis to the fund from my own money and 10 million more will be given by the government. We have to seriously support the fund,” the president said.
Ghani said that at the first stage families of the slain Afghan journalists will receive aid through the fund.
The president termed the freedom of expression as a major achievement of past 17 years, urging all the government organizations to help reporters in getting information.
Ghani also called on the owners of private media outlets to comply with the labor law of the country and provide insurance to their employees.
The Journalists Support Fund was launched at a time that Afghan media employees are faced with unprecedented challenges as media supporting agencies say the last four years were the most deadly years for Afghan journalists.
This year, more journalists have been killed in Afghanistan than in any other country.
On 5 September, a Tolonews reporter and his cameraman were killed in a suicide attack while covering live from the scene of another suicide attack on a wrestling club.
On 30 April, a suicide attack in Shash Darak area of Kabul killed 26 people, including 9 journalists. This was the deadliest attack on media employees since the ouster of Taliban.
Speaking at the ceremony, Second Vice President and Head of Journalists Safety Committee Sarwar Danish said the fund will resolve economic woes of the media employees.
“We hope with the comprehensive help from government officials and traders, the fund will get richer to support journalists and their families in urgent situation,” Danish said.
Commenting on the activities of the committee he leads, Danish said since its inception all cases of violence against journalists have been probed and sent to the judiciary organs.
Chief of Nai, Supporting Open Media, Mujeeb Khilwatgar said if government does not intervene in the affairs of the fund, it can solve some financial problems of media and its employees.
