Afghan journalist killed after Taliban warning

KANDAHAR: A high-profile Afghan television journalist was shot dead in here Thursday, officials said, a day after the Taliban warned against "biased reporting" by the media.

Nemat Rawan was until last month a popular talk show host with the country´s leading broadcaster Tolo News, before joining the ministry of finance as a communications specialist. He was "assassinated by unknown gunmen", Kandahar city police spokesman Jamal Nasir Barekzai told AFP.

"Heartbreaking to hear that a friend and former colleague Nemat Rawan was shot dead in Kandahar city today," Lotfullah Najafizada, head of Tolo News, posted on Twitter. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban have been blamed for a wave of assassinations targeting journalists in recent months.

On Wednesday, a Taliban spokesman warned that media workers who carry out "biased reporting" would be "held responsible". Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the country´s peace council, on Thursday condemned the Taliban´s threat against the media and "any attempts to silence Afghan journalists".

Members of Afghanistan´s educated class — including journalists, activists and judges — have for months been the target of bombings and shootings, forcing many to go into hiding or leave the country.