Afghanistan: Govt media head laid to rest in Kabul after Taliban assassination

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The head of the Afghan government’s media and information centre, Dawa Khan Menapal, was laid to rest in Kabul on Saturday, one day after he was assassinated by the Taliban.

“Yesterday, the Taliban assassinated another voice of righteousness, another voice of freedom, and another voice of progress,” Afghan Journalist Safety Committee president Najib Sharifi said.

“This is not the first incident and it will not be the last incident, but what’s very important to understand is that these voices will not be silenced by coercion, by violence and by murder,” Sharifi added.

Mourners could be seen praying for Menapal, who had also served as a spokesperson for President Ashraf Ghani, before soldiers acting as pallbearers carried his coffin to its burial place.

“Today is a very bad day for Afghanistan. Menapal did not belong to one tribe. He did not belong to one province. He did belong to all Afghanistan,” Afghan journalist Aziz Ahmad Tasal said.

“But terrorists,” he added, “they want to bring the darkness for this country. He was the person, he was always trying to bring the light for this country but unfortunately, we lost him.”

Menapal was shot dead in the Afghan capital on Friday, with Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid saying that the group was behind the ‘special attack’ and that the official was ‘punished for his deeds.’

The Taliban has made sweeping advances across Afghanistan, with the group already in control of much of the countryside. On Friday, Zaranj, in Nimroz province, became the first provincial capital to fall to the militants.

The surge in fighting coincides with the withdrawal of US and Nato troops from the country, with the US set to have removed all of its military forces by August 31.

SOT, Najib Sharifi, Afghan Journalist Safety Committee president: “Yesterday, the Taliban assassinated another voice of righteousness, another voice of freedom, and another voice of progress. This is not the first incident and it will not be the last incident, but what’s very important to understand is that these voices will not be silenced by coercion, by violence, and by murder.”

SOT, Najib Sharifi, Afghan Journalist Safety Committee president: “The Taliban have killed dozens of journalists in the past, and they will continue to kill. But they will not be able to silence the voice of the people, and the voice of freedom, and the voice of progress.”

SOT, Aziz Tasal, Afghan journalist: “Today is a very bad day for Afghanistan. Menapal did not belong to one tribe. He did not belong to one province. He did belong to all Afghanistan, but terrorists, you know, they are always looking for people, they, like, they want to bring the darkness for this country. He was the person, he was always trying to bring the light for this country but unfortunately, we lost him.”
#Afghanistan #Kabul #Taliban
Video ID: 20210807-032

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