KABUL - Afghan central bank's acting governor, Ajmal Ahmadi, has come under fire for blocking his critics on Twitter.
Criticism on Ahmadi mounted in recent days over reports that his salary was $500 per day at the time when he was an adviser to the ministry of finance.
Ahmadi has alsofaced criticismover his meeting in the bank with a person convicted of embezzlement and also electricity outage for several hours in the bank.
“Government officials should be accountable to people and answer to questions with patience,” said Ainuddin Bahaduri, head of Access to Information Commission. “No government official has the right to misuse their position.”
“Blocking users on Twitter or other networks where government officials are criticized is not good,” he said.
Nai, Afghanistan’s top media advocacy group, said Ahmadi’s blocking of journalists on Twitter went against laws, particularly the Constitution and Access to Information Law.
Mujib Khelwatgar, head of Nai, said that Ahmadi should be accountable and state why he did so.
US charge d’affaires, Ross Wilson, also said that journalists should not be blocked.
“Transparency is the foundation of democratic government. Freedom of the press is democracy’s guardian; Afghans should be proud of their journalists, not blocking them. We stand with those who hold government institutions and their leaders accountable,” Wilson said on Twitter.
The central bank declined to make comment. (1TV NEWS)