Excerpt from analytical report by Sahar entitled "Mr Khoram will also be removed" published by Afghan independent secular daily newspaper Hasht-e Sobh on 24 July
Rumours are circulating that changes will take place in Mr Karzai's cabinet in the near future and some ministers will leave their posts for others.
Among all this, one of the ministers who will reportedly not be in Karzai's cabinet anymore will be Information and Culture Minister Karim Khoram. But given the importance of the post of the information and culture minister and the proliferation of free media in Afghanistan, who and with what particularities can create a better environment for the realization of freedom of expression and respect for civil values?
Sediqollah Towhidi, in charge of the media watch in the Nai network, told the daily Hasht-e Sobh in a telephone interview that the person who will be appointed to this post should be well-known and have enough experience in the media and culture organizations. He said the person who will be appointed as the information and culture minister should not have any prejudices and his sole purpose should be to promote the general culture in Afghanistan. According to Mr Towhedi, an information and culture minister should be able to be innovative in the cultural sectors in the country. He believes a proper management capacity is of particular importance for an information and culture minister.
Speaking about the performance of Information and Culture Minister Karim Khoram and his relations with the media, Mr Towhedi said: Unfortunately, at a time when Afghanistan needs a capable minister void of any prejudices (in the Information and Culture Ministry) and who could make use of the freedom of expression and the commitment the Afghan government has made to the international community, we have witnessed that Mr Khoram did not have any interest in the freedom of expression nor did he pay attention to the development of the media in Afghanistan. We saw that he was an unknown person among renowned cultural and media activists in Afghanistan. It was because of this issue that the relations of the independent media were suddenly terminated with the government through the Information and Culture Ministry when Mr Khoram was appointed the minister."
Some journalists believe that given the number of languages and tribes in Afghanistan, the information and culture minister should have the ability to show to all the people of the country that the Information and Culture Ministry is trying to promote all languages and cultures without any discrimination.
Mohammad Ali Rezwani, the editor-in-chief of the weekly Eqtedar- e Melli, says the information and culture minister should think about the expansion and promotion of general culture more than anything else.
According to Mr Rezwani, Karim Khoram has tried to carry out cultural activities for a particular tribe, region and language.