.Afghan government detains critical talk show host
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan intelligence agents detained a TV talk show host critical of the government, the president's spokesman confirmed Tuesday, accusing private media of coming under the influence of foreign countries.
The government said in a statement that Nasir Fayaz, who hosted a weekly show called "Truth," made baseless accusations against two ministers and called for his prosecution.
"The Cabinet decided that such people, and any other persons who are working in the media and are making baseless accusations, should be prosecuted," the statement said.
Humayun Hamidzada, the chief spokesman for President Hamid Karzai, confirmed that Fayaz was still being held Tuesday by the Afghan National Directorate of Security.
On Sunday, Fayaz's show was taken off the air after the Ariana Television Network received a phone call from the intelligence service agent ordering them to stop the broadcast, said Abdul Qadir Mirzai, a spokesman for the station.
"(The intelligence officer) told me are you going to stop the program now or am I going to need to send someone to stop it," Mirzai said. The channel complied. Mirzai said Fayaz was detained on Monday.
Hamidzada claimed some foreign countries were trying to influence events in Afghanistan by financing media outlets.
"They want to attack the people of Afghanistan and the government of Afghanistan using these media," Hamidzada said, without naming any country or any media company.
It was unclear if he was referring to foreign governments and organizations, mostly from the West, that provide aid in the form of grants and training to Afghan media networks, or possibly to neighboring countries such as Pakistan or Iran. Kabul has accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan - a charge the government in Islamabad denies.
Hamidzada claimed that some Afghan media ran editorials sent by e-mail from abroad, but provided no examples or evidence.
Since the fall of the Taliban regime following the U.S.-led invasion in late 2001, private media have flourished in Afghanistan and have been touted as part of the success story of the country's new democracy. Television and music was banned during the Taliban rule.
But religious conservatives often bristle over the content, including women singing on TV or presenting the news, and the government has not always taken kindly to criticism of its performance.
MyWay
You would think there would be an investigation of the ministers first if any action were taken
The government said in a statement that Nasir Fayaz, who hosted a weekly show called "Truth," made baseless accusations against two ministers and called for his prosecution.
"The Cabinet decided that such people, and any other persons who are working in the media and are making baseless accusations, should be prosecuted," the statement said.
Humayun Hamidzada, the chief spokesman for President Hamid Karzai, confirmed that Fayaz was still being held Tuesday by the Afghan National Directorate of Security.
On Sunday, Fayaz's show was taken off the air after the Ariana Television Network received a phone call from the intelligence service agent ordering them to stop the broadcast, said Abdul Qadir Mirzai, a spokesman for the station.
"(The intelligence officer) told me are you going to stop the program now or am I going to need to send someone to stop it," Mirzai said. The channel complied. Mirzai said Fayaz was detained on Monday.
Hamidzada claimed some foreign countries were trying to influence events in Afghanistan by financing media outlets.
"They want to attack the people of Afghanistan and the government of Afghanistan using these media," Hamidzada said, without naming any country or any media company.
It was unclear if he was referring to foreign governments and organizations, mostly from the West, that provide aid in the form of grants and training to Afghan media networks, or possibly to neighboring countries such as Pakistan or Iran. Kabul has accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan - a charge the government in Islamabad denies.
Hamidzada claimed that some Afghan media ran editorials sent by e-mail from abroad, but provided no examples or evidence.
Since the fall of the Taliban regime following the U.S.-led invasion in late 2001, private media have flourished in Afghanistan and have been touted as part of the success story of the country's new democracy. Television and music was banned during the Taliban rule.
But religious conservatives often bristle over the content, including women singing on TV or presenting the news, and the government has not always taken kindly to criticism of its performance.
MyWay
You would think there would be an investigation of the ministers first if any action were taken
posted by madtom at 10:04 PM
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