KABUL, October 2, 2010
Benawa.com a Pashto news and Op-Ed website has been blocked for visitors in Afghanistan after the complaints from the Media Violations Commission about publishing the false news of vice-president Qasim Fahim's death.
The commission sent a request to the Office of Attorney General (OAG) to look into the complaint and act as required, said Zarialai Nawabi, spokesman of the Ministry of Information and Culture.
“The commission found that benawa.com was publishing misleading information and false news about Vice-President Qasim Fahim's demise in an attempt to disrupt public opinions,” said Nawabi.
The OAG ruled blocking of the site asking the Ministry of Communications to implement the decision, he said.
The website is still accessible from some internet providers in Afghanistan despite the official ban.
Mirwais Jalalzai, editor in chief of the website, told AFJC the report about Fahim's death was published according to information provided by 'a reliable' source and that they published a follow-up story citing other sources in the government rejecting the news as false.
He said he will struggle to lift the filter on the website.