Image of former Afghanistan TV anchor selling food goes viral

Musa Mohammadi

The viral photo caught the attention of Ahmadullah Wasiq, Director-General of National Radio and Television, who tweeted saying he wishes to appoint the TV anchor and reporter to his department.

A photo of an Afghan TV anchor selling food on the streets in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has gone viral on social media. Kabir Haqmal, who earlier worked with the Hamid Karzai government, took to his Twitter handle to share the photo of Musa Mohammadi, who used to be a media anchor, selling food to make ends meet.

Sharing the photo on Twitter, Haqmal wrote, “Musa Mohammadi worked for years as an anchor & reporter in different TV channels, and now has no income to feed his family. & sells street food to earn some money. #Afghans suffer unprecedented poverty after the fall of the republic.”

Journalists life in #Afghanistan under the #Taliban. Musa Mohammadi worked for years as anchor & reporter in different TV channels, now has no income to fed his family. & sells street food to earn some money. #Afghans suffer unprecedented poverty after the fall of republic. pic.twitter.com/nCTTIbfZN3

— Kabir Haqmal (@Haqmal) June 15, 2022

The viral photo caught the attention of Ahmadullah Wasiq, the Director-General of National Radio and Television, who tweeted saying he wishes to appoint the former TV anchor and reporter in his department.

His tweet, when translated, reads, “Unemployment of Musa Mohammadi, a spokesman for a private television station, rises on social media. As a matter of fact, as the director of the National Radio and Television, I assure him that we will appoint him within the framework of the National Radio and Television. We need all Afghan professionals.”

It is to be noted that Afghanistan has been facing dire economic, political and humanitarian crisis ever since the Taliban has taken over the country.

According to reports, they have cracked down on several media organisations, with many journalists, especially women, losing their jobs over the last few months.

As per Reuters, the World Bank said that the per capita income of Afghanistan has fallen by over a third in the last four months of 2021.