A former influential TV presenter in Afghanistan has been killed in a bomb attack on his car. It concerns Yama Siawash, who previously worked as a political commentator for Tolo TV, the country’s largest commercial station. He had recently made the switch to the Afghan central bank.
Two others were also killed, a colleague of Siawash who was also in the car and the driver of the vehicle. The attack on the journalist has not yet been claimed.
The death of the former journalist is not an isolated one. In recent months, the number of violent incidents in Afghanistan has increased and prominent people have also been killed. Last week, 22 more people were killed an attack at the University of Kabul. A branch of IS claimed that attack and said it was also responsible for it the attack at an educational center, where 24 people died.
In March Dozens were killed in an attack on a commemoration of an assassination attempt in 1995. That meeting was attended by politicians. Also, 25 people were killed in that month an attack in a Sikh temple in Kabul.
Negotiations
“Attacking journalists is attacking freedom of speech,” said Abdullah Abdullah, who leads the reconciliation process between the warring factions in Afghanistan. “And Siawash’s death is a great loss to our country. This is an unforgivable and unforgettable crime.”
Negotiators from the Afghan government and the Taliban have been negotiating in Qatar just since September to find a solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, which has dragged on for decades. Much progress does not seem to be made there.
US peace envoy Khalizad has pushed for a quick ceasefire, but the Taliban have refused. They say a permanent ceasefire is part of the negotiations.
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