About 100 Afghan journalists declared a boycott of coverage of the Taliban on Saturday after the insurgent group killed an Afghan reporter and his family in a hotel attack this week.
Sardar Ahmad, his wife and kids were out to dinner at Kabul's luxury Serena Hotel on Thursday night when a group of teenage Taliban militants entered the hotel with hidden handguns. He, his wife and two of their three children were shot dead, and one child remains in critical condition at a hospital in Kabul.
Five others were killed in the attack, for which the Taliban claimed responsibility.
"Once again, the journalism family in Afghanistan mourns the loss of one of its active members in a tragic incident," journalists gathered at the Sardar Mohamed Daud Hospital said in a statement on Saturday. "This incident comes despite the fact that Afghan journalists have assiduously tried to remain neutral in their coverage amid difficult circumstances."
Calling the attack unjustified, the statement said that the journalists had decided to boycott coverage of news related to the Taliban for 15 days, refraining from reaching out to the Taliban for statement or comment, and asked for an explanation of how the Taliban could justify shooting innocent children.
Sardar Ahmad was 40 years old. He joined AFP in 2003 and started working as senior reporter in the Afghan capital Kabul covering all aspects of life including politics and war.
On Friday, the attack received harsh condemnation from around the country. Many friends and colleagues of Sardar spoke out in shock and horror about what befell the promising journalist and his family.
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