Tribune institutions that support Afghan journalists
In this section, the Tribune of institutions that protect the journalist has held a special conversation with the head of the Afghanistan Journalists’ Insurance Fund
Reporter Mrs. Fouzia Farhat Siddiqi
First question Mr. Asif Wardak, introduce yourself, what is your field of study and tell about your media experience?
Wardak: Thank you and greetings to all colleagues, viewers and readers of this interview, my name is Mohammad Asaf Wardak, and I have studied journalism and political science law, and for several decades, I have served the National Radio of Afghanistan, of course, the mission I was during the reign of martyr Dawood Khan, on the exact day when the Red Army bombarded Dawood Khan’s house and unfortunately Dawood Khan and eighteen members of his family were killed. After the coming of Hamid Karzai’s government, I returned to my homeland and I should mention that after that I was not in any government mission or any political movement.
Reporter: Tell me about your activities and media functions, what have you done during these decades?
Vardak: I did freelance activities, “Cultural Interest”, books, scientific and national figures of the country, my publishing activities in the fourth part of the magazine, etc.
Reporter: Wardak Sahib, we want to hear from you about the creation of a support fund for journalists, the formation of this fund, and since when have you been the head of this fund?
Wardak: Thank you, let me explain a little about this matter. I was not really interested in this position. After leaving the radio station, I did some kind of charitable activities for the country. The Ministry of Information at that time decided to establish several new organizations, not only the insurance fund, but in the end, the Ministry of Culture and Information could not create these organizations, although the Ministry of Finance at that time was willing to budget for it. These institutions were not found, and based on the decision of the Ministry, it was decided to license these institutions to those people who, without any kind of financial support from the Ministry, would take full responsibility for the expenses and development of the institutions. Institutions and in the part of the fund and my election, it should be said that in a round of the meeting of the ministry, which I was not present, approximately two hundred people participated and two people nominated themselves in this skin, but they did not get enough votes, and finally the decision of the ministry was based on this. I was able to accept the chairmanship of the fund without any conditions, which I can easily say was imposed on me.
Journalist: So you have been the head of this fund since the beginning of the creation of the support fund for journalists?
Vardak: Yes, it has been 9 years that I have been on the right side of the fund, and as I mentioned earlier that the Ministry had no financial cooperation at all, and I built a renovation with all the facilities to carry out this responsibility with my personal money, and I would like to mention that in Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani’s government donated a certain amount of money to the fund on behalf of Dr. Ghani and his wife, of course, personal money, and then Mohammad Ashraf Ghani tasked the Ministry of Finance to pay a regular amount of money to the fund every year until the end of the republic and now. With the establishment of the Islamic Emirates, Mr. Abdulhaq Emad is actually involved in the fund process, and we have a board of directors, all of whom are university professors, and all decisions are made with the advice of colleagues and we move forward.
Reporter: How many journalists are members of the fund?
Vardak: Unfortunately, I don’t have the exact statistics in front of me, I forgot to take the sheet from them in the morning, then we will give you information, and now I can say that we have provided financial cooperation to 600 or so journalists, including 60 martyrs who are with their families. Financial cooperation has been done in the amount of one lakh to two lakh Afghanis and also financial cooperation with media victims
Reporter: Tell me about the formation of the board of directors, how were they chosen?
Wardak: In the selection of the board of directors, we have a procedure, one person is elected from each organization, for example, from Kabul University, for example, from the Ministry of Culture and Information, Emad Sahib, they are representatives, so there are new members of the board of directors.
We have given the powers to the board of directors, we will hold an election.
Reporter: Regarding the existing budget of the fund, tell me from which sources it is provided
Vardak: There are no documents against me in the world that I took a dollar from any country or embassy.
I say clearly that the amount of five million Afghanis that was given from the address of Dr. Sahib Sahib Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and the same money that the Ministry of Finance gave every year, the sum of my personal money and that of my friends is still being used from the same money.
Reporter: Ever since you came to the Islamic Emirate, have you added money to the fund from any government or private source, or is there a plan on this issue or not?
Wardak: We didn’t receive any kind of money from any source, and the last money during the republic was 300,000 Afghanis from Master Atta Mohammad Noor, who is my personal friend, and they helped me on my trip to the grave.
Reporter: Mr. Vardak Sahib, in your opinion, how should a plan and mechanism be built so that transparency can be seen in it and finally the money that is given to journalists will reach them safely and completely?
Vardak: You journalists have a duty to follow up the violations and corruptions that are taking place with investigative reports.
Reporter: Vardak Sahib, do you have a relationship with the institutions that protect journalists or not?
Vardak: Yes, I have a relationship, I want to have one, but they don’t have a relationship and are afraid of my seriousness and accountability, I’m sorry!
Reporter: Vardak Sahib, can you talk a little about this newly established federation?
Vardak: What the Ministry of Information and Culture said, if they are serious about their commitment, then all the uses of the journalist’s name will end. First of all, the institutions must have a legal license, and then they must work together under the umbrella of the federation. Through your channel, I challenge all the shopkeepers to come and sit with me, and my request to you journalists is to get the documents and stand up for journalists against any corruption in the institutions, and even if the Islamic Emirates has a vacuum, make a plan against it and avoid anything. Do not be afraid and entrust yourself to God.
Journalist: What is your opinion about the latest decision of the Ministry of Information and Culture, which said that all journalists must register their names in this ministry and get a card?
Wardak: Pay attention that the institutions are under the influence of the ministry, not the ministry is under the influence of the institutions and the Ministry of Cultural Information is responsible for comprehensively examining the institutions, of course, according to the media laws of the country.
Reporter: As the last question, what is the program and big plans of the support fund for journalists in the future?
According to Tarzul Maal Fund, our program and work continued from nine years ago until now, and from now on, we are still committed to what was mentioned above.
