26 January 2010 - Afghan journalists in Kandahar have established the region’s first ever press club.

The main purpose behind the formation of the club is to offer a place for journalists in Kandahar and in the south of Afghanistan from where they can work from, organize training workshops and carry out other media activities.

Work has been ongoing for the last two years to get the club off the ground and this week journalist associations came together to elect the club’s officials.

Some 70 media correspondents cast their votes at the club’s elections.

Representatives from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, Kandahar’s provincial council and the head of the Information and Culture Department acted as observers during the process.

“The press club is a positive initiative and will provide an opportunity for the local people, government officials and other organizations to get easy access to the media. On the other hand, it will bring unity amongst the media correspondents and resolve the prevailing problems faced by them in the region,” said Engineer Noorzai, the head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission in Kandahar.

“On behalf of Kandahar provincial council, I would like to congratulate those involved in putting forward such a brilliant idea in the shape of the press club and hope that the doors of the press club will be open for everybody. I wish that all of you will carry out your duties with loyalty and will respect the values and desires of all Kandaharis,” said Mr Bismillah Afghan Mal, a member of Kandahar’s provincial council.

Journalists in the south of Afghanistan face a challenging working environment and three working with the BBC, Canadian TV and Ariana TV, have already lost their lives in the line of duty and several others have sustained injuries in the provinces of Kandahar and Helmand.

The formation of the press club comes at a time when the local authorities in Kandahar are in the process of establishing a Government Media and Information Centre at the governor’s offices.

The press club will function alongside the South Asian Free Media Association.

By Mujeeb Rahman, UNAMA

Website: South Asian Free Media Association