KABUL, July 27, 2010
Emroz TV, a privately run channel in Kabul, has been banned after the cabinet in a meeting unanimously ruled closing it for 'provoking sectarian tensions' and 'attempting to disrupt national unity'.
The television channel took the last minutes on air around 2:30 pm Tuesday when it was officially told to stop, and then had its studios sealed by a government delegation.
The Center for Journalists of Afghanistan is shocked to see how hurriedly the decision of banning the station has been taken bypassing the Media Violations Commission which is officially in charge of dealing with such cases.
Earlier, a statement from office of President Hamid Karzai said letting Emroz TV to continue its broadcast was posing a 'serious threat' to sovereignty of the government of Afghanistan. The ministry of Information and Culture was, therefore, ordered to immediately enact the ban.
Zarialai Nawabi, spokesman for the Ministry of Information and Culture, the ministry moved into action together with other relevant executive and judiciary bodies to close the TV channel as decided by the cabinet.
However, Najibullah Kabuli owner of the channel and member of the parliament, said the cabinet's decision was taken under pressure from Iran and Shiite clerics.
He said he could not self-censor himself and what was broadcast reflected the prevailing realities of the Afghan society. In an interview with CJA, Kabuli expressed surprise over the abrupt shutdown of his channel without previous knowledge of him. He said the decision was taken and implemented too hastily as against standards of a formal procedure dealing with the media.
The cabinet also ordered stopping of Dil-o-Nadil Show of TV1 and Bazi-e-Bakht show of Tolo TV finding them 'unislamic', according to the statement from the Presidential Office.
Emroz TV has been on air since three years with coverage area of Kabul and parts of districts of the neighboring provinces.