Jan 28, 2015
Jalal Abad:Residents, members of the provincial council and a number of Afghan lawmakers on Thursday lashed out at government for failing to shut down a radio station reportedly run by Daesh in Nangarhar province.
They claim the radio station now broadcasts anti-government propaganda in Pashto, Dari and English in a bid to recruit young Afghans.
According to the ToloNews, the Voice of Caliphate broadcasts in Pashto, Persian/Dari and English languages in Nangarhar province and was launched a few weeks ago reportedly by supporters who pledged allegiance to the militant group in eastern Afghanistan.
Residents in Nangarhar have criticized the government for not taking action against the radio station which has now extended its program schedules.
"In terms of propaganda, Daesh is stronger compared to Taliban, an issue which can expand disunity among the Muslim nation of Afghanistan, therefore we need to terminate this radio station," religious scholar in Nangarhar Zahir Haqqani said.
"We have demanded the termination of the radio station on several occasions, but no one has heard us," MP Amir Khan Yar said.
It is said that Daesh uses a mobile broadcasting unit in Batikot and Achin districts of Nangarhar.
"We tried to track and terminate the radio, but it operates around the Durand Line," Nangarhar governor Attaullah Khogyani said.
"National Unity Government needs to terminate the broadcasting of this radio, because the radio poses serious threats to the nation," Senator Mohammad Asif Sediqqi said.
This comes after the ministry of communication and information technology acknowledged that the radio station had been stopped.
Daesh as a militant group has used social media platforms effectively to recruit fighters who have joined their ranks from all over the world.