Press Statement of World Association of Press Councils

The World Association of Press Councils today condoled the brutal killing of Mr Danish Siddiqui, Pulitzer Prize winner Indian photojournalist of global news agency Reuters based in New Delhi, and Mr Dawa Khan Minapal, head of the Afghanistan’s government media and information centre in Afghanistan. Minapal had also served as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman.

In a Webinar with all its member states today the WAPC also condemned the slayings of both Danish and Minapal . “WAPC, in no uncertain terms denounces such ghastly murder of media persons by the Taliban radicals. Killing journalists should in no way be tolerated anywhere in the world, especially in a highly conflict-ridden volatile country like Afghanistan.

The world body urged all including the Governments to protect life and security of the media persons and uphold freedom of press which is sine qua non for all countries. "We have received various reports that media persons, especially women journalists are not able to perform their professional duty under extreme fear under serious threat to their lives in Afghanistan". The United Nations and all the Member countries must come forward to protect the life of the media and uphold freedom of press in the extreme violence hit Afghanistan.

Dr Sule Akere
President