Najibullah Musafir, an Afghan photojournalist who was imprisoned for six months has been pardoned by the President. This certainly is an appreciable move by president taking a bold and cogent step exercising a fair decision that safeguards both the journalists and cause of press freedom. Najibullah Musafir was arrested about three weeks ago and sent to Pul-i-Charkhi prison in Kabul after the court passed its ruling of six months imprisonment without dispensing the right to defend him. Najibullah Musafir was sentenced for pictures taken during basketball play of female in Kabul’s Ghazi Stadium but the picture was reportedly used by a telecommunication company in the advertisement.

In Afghanistan, media personnel often have to carry out their duties in an extremely precarious ambiance. The variant functional groups owing variant interests try hard to avow their influence and strive earning the favor of media person either by gun or mutton. Last year 60 journalists were killed worldwide. Eight of them lost lives in Afghanistan, making it the deadliest year for journalists in Afghanistan. Hence journalists must act with promptness and caution, balancing their professional duties with awareness about when to pull back should things spiral out of control. In this piece of land numerous journalists have been killed in the line of their duties. Press encounters enormous censure, great degree of restraint and severe and callous treatment from both state and non-state actors. Such cold hearted attitudes are occasionally witnessed in states passing through totalitarian, despotic and dysfunctional or paralyzed democratic regimes. The functioning of media bodies, foreign or local, becoming targets for reprisal for their work as journalists might get worsened if appropriate actions aren’t taken.

It is an irrefutable notion that democracy encompassing all its core values lay to implementation only when customary cultures are substituted with democratic culture. This renders achievable when ground turns richer for such adoption. Nonetheless, the case is otherwise in this piece of land where biases seek sectarian, racial, religious and regional support. Everybody is discriminated on flawed aforesaid grounds. Truth is lies off and falsehood dominates; the list goes on.

According to Reporters without Borders press freedom index in the 2014, Afghanistan is ranked 128th out of 180 countries. But this period has also seen the continuation of a wave of violence against journalists than was unleashed when election coverage began last October. The Taliban stepped up attacks on the civilian population more than a year ago, and their targets have included journalists and media.

Another case that earned prominence was the death of 27-year-old local radio host Kaled Aghah Yaghubi gunned down in front of his children in his home in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of the northern province of Balkh, the previous year. The continuing wave of killing against journalists showed marked increase in violence. This was confirmed by the report released, late 2014 by United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) noted a 24 per cent increase in the number of civilians killed or wounded in attacks or other acts of violence.

Earlier a France based independent group Reporter Without Borders released Press Freedom Index 2015 that underlined grave violation of press freedom.  The index stated that there were 3,719 violations of freedom of information in 180 countries in 2014 – eight per cent more than a year earlier. The criminalization of blasphemy endangers freedom of information in around half of the world’s countries,” the report said, noting that religious extremists sometimes also go after journalists or bloggers they believe do not sufficiently respect their god or prophet.

The Index puts Afghanistan 122 out of 180 countries with score of 37.44, just 6 degree ahead of former year. The aforesaid appreciable moves might have served the reason to bring it forth.  Seeing at dismal performance of the rest of countries, we are refreshed to do a bit of good to dwindle the status quo.

Conversely, the RSF’s ranking put Iran, China, Syria and North Korea among the countries with the very worst levels of press freedom out of the 180 evaluated. The United States ranked 49, three spots lower than in the previous report, in part because of what RSF said was the US government’s “war on information” against WikiLeaks and others. The best-rated nations were northern European states such as Finland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, with New Zealand, Canada and Jamaica also making the top 10.

Before assuming the office of presidency, President and CEO promised to support the freedom of press. Some measures favoring freedom of information have also been begun which include modifying the access to information law, eliminating the Media Offences Commission, and the planned creation of a media regulatory body under a new media law. This won’t suffice unless regulatory bodies to oversee its implementation are onset. At the same time, there have been two key decisions favoring freedom of information in Afghanistan. The parliament adopted a law on access to information. It’s to be remembered that any development hindering the smooth-running of media should be discouraged.

Both the ratification of access to information law and getting the afghan photojournalist pardoned are deemed splendid measure taken by incumbent government which of course embolden journalists further their impartial duties towards in the fairer environment. The governments must come forth sincerely, addressing the boundless challenges afghan media faces and must not let this very functional organ of society beleaguer.