ISLAMABAD: Freedom Network, a partner of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Pakistan, has launched an advocacy programme to support Afghan journalists in exile in the county.

According to an RSF press release, the “Advocacy Hub for Afghan Journalists” project aims to support Afghan journalists who had to flee to Pakistan to save their lives after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in 2021. They have had to put an abrupt end to their journalistic careers and are now faced with a very difficult daily life.

The initiative will help them find lasting solutions and give them new prospects, particularly in their professional lives. It will benefit nearly 100 Afghan journalists in exile.

Led by Iqbal Khattak, Executive Director of Freedom Network, the project is supported by RSF through the ProtectDefenders programme funded by the European Union. The programme includes lobbying Pakistani policy and decision-makers to ensure the safety of journalists in exile and enable them to work in their host country, capacity-building workshops for Pakistani media and colleagues, and legal assistance.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2023