Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday condemned the brutal murder of three female media workers in the eastern city of Jalalabad
KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd March, 2021) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday condemned the brutal murder of three female media workers in the eastern city of Jalalabad.
"Terrorist attacks on our innocent citizens, especially women, are against islam, the Afghan culture and the spirit of peace and they prolong the current crisis and the war," he said in a statement.
The three employees of the Enikass tv channel were shot and killed on their way from office on Tuesday afternoon. Zalmai Latifi, the director at Enikass TV, said they were murdered in two separate attacks.
Ghani blamed the attack on the Taliban insurgency and promised to punish those responsible. He said attempts to roll back the achievements of the past 20 years by creating an atmosphere of fear would not succeed. The Islamist militancy denied being involved in the attack.
NATO senior civilian representative to Afghanistan Stefano Pontecorvo called the killing tragic, saying Afghan women working in the media were especially targeted. He stressed that "their voices are more important than ever to ensure lasting peace."
The Afghan Human Rights Commission said the string of attacks on Enikass TV's female journalists was "worrisome and frightening."
"These attacks are a threat to freedom of expression. The commission calls on the government to identify the perpetrators of these attacks and bring to justice those responsible," it tweeted.
The commission also urged Afghanistan's international partners to use their influence to bring about an immediate ceasefire and real progress in intra-Afghan peace talks.
