Pashtun group condemns targeted killing of Afghan govt media head

Amsterdam [Netherlands], August 7 : Pashtun Tahafuz Movement's (PTM) Europe chapter has strongly condemned the targeted killing of the head of the Afghanistan government's media wing.
Dawa Khan Menapal was gunned down at Darul Aman Road in the capital city of Kabul on Friday.
In a statement issued on Friday, PTM said, "PTM Europe strongly condemns the coward targeted killing of Dawa Khan Menapal in Kabul, Afghanistan. Dawa Khan Menapal was a peaceful and loving person, a journalist and writer who was serving his country as the director of media and information center."
"He was a strong advocate of freedom of speech and always aimed to provide truthful information to his fellow Afghans. His killing, for which the Taliban took responsibility, fits in the pattern of deadly attacks on Afghan intellectuals, human rights activists and advocates of freedom of speech, progress and empowerment for Afghan people."
The group said the target-killing of Afghan intellectuals bears all the hallmarks of the operations of the Pakistani ISI.
On Friday, the United States had condemned the assassination of the director of the Afghanistan government media information centre.
Speaking at the press briefing, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said, "On behalf of the government, I strongly condemn the assassination of Dawa Khan Menapal, the director of Afghan govt media information centre. His murder follows the bombing attack in Kabul earlier this week that targeted the acting Afghan Defence minister."