Abdulmanan Arghand

Name: Abdulmanan Arghand
Occupation: Journalist
Date of Birth: 1983
Date of Assassination: April 25, 2018
Place of Assassination: Kandahar Province
Person/Group Responsible for Assassination: Unknown Armed Assailants

Life and Education:

Abdulmanan Arghand was born in 1983 in Pashmul village, Zharai district, Kandahar province, into a family that highly valued education. He completed his high school education at Zahir Shahi High School and continued his studies in journalism at Mirwais Nika private University in Kandahar city. According to Pajhwok News Agency, Arghand worked as a journalist in Kandahar for over a decade. On the day of his assassination, while on his way to work, he was attacked and killed by armed men in Kandahar city’s 9th district. Notably, Arghand’s family, stating they had no personal enmity with anyone, held the Taliban responsible for his murder. Abdulmanan Arghand is survived by one daughter and two sons.

Activities:

According to BBC, Nai-Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan- reported that Mr. Arghand had worked as a journalist for five years with Kabul News and several local media outlets in Kandahar. Beyond his media work, Arghand was actively involved in civil society, cultural initiatives, and education. His family noted that he was always seeking to create opportunities for women and his colleagues. One of Arghand’s significant contributions was his reporting on the activities of the Departments of Women’s Affairs, which, according to a colleague, spurred healthy competition among the departments and increased efforts to create opportunities for women.