Pajhwok Afghan News

Pajhwok Afghan News is an Afghan news agency headquartered in Kabul and commonly described as Afghanistan’s largest independent news agency. Its name, Pajhwok, is a Pashto word that also means “reflection” or “echo” in both Pashto and Dari. The agency presents itself as Afghan-owned and operated and states that it has no political affiliation. Its core activity is the production and distribution of general news about Afghanistan. The agency provides continuous reporting in English, Pashto and Dari, covering national political developments, public affairs and other subjects relevant to Afghan audiences and international observers. In addition to routine news coverage, Pajhwok publishes investigative reports on major Afghan issues, including political corruption. This combination of daily reporting and investigative work gives the organization a role broader than that of a simple bulletin service: it functions both as a domestic news source and as a supplier of Afghan content to outside media. Pajhwok maintains eight regional bureaus and a nationwide network of reporters and correspondents. According to the reference description, it produces an average of approximately three dozen stories per day across its language services. The agency also supplies photographs, video footage and audio clips to international wire services, television channels and radio stations. Its offering therefore includes both directly published journalism and multimedia material that can be licensed, republished or used by other media organizations. The organization’s founder and director is Danish Karokhel, who received the Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award in 2008. Pajhwok’s journalists have also received recognition for feature writing, photojournalism, reporting and other media work. The listed honors include awards associated with Weeda Baraki, Fayyaz Umari, Bashir Ahmad Naadim, Zirak Fahim, Bismillah Pashtunmal and Navid Ahmad Barakzai. The agency itself received a Media & Mission of Anti-Corruption award in 2021, while editor Abasin Zaheer was reported as a recipient of a United Nations Development Programme award later that year. Pajhwok’s positioning is rooted in independent Afghan journalism with multilingual reach and nationwide reporting capacity. Its principal audience includes Afghan readers, broadcasters and institutions as well as international media organizations seeking locally generated reporting and multimedia from Afghanistan. Publicly available reference material does not establish a corporate parent, listed status, ticker, precise founding year or detailed ownership structure beyond describing the agency as Afghan-owned and operated.

Pajhwok Afghan News developed as an Afghan news organization focused on reporting from within Afghanistan for both local and international audiences. Its Pashto name is associated with the idea of a reflection or echo, a meaning shared in Dari. The agency is headquartered in Kabul and is described as Afghan-owned and operated, with no stated political affiliation. The organization’s reporting model combines continuous general-news production with specialist investigative journalism. Its coverage addresses important Afghan political and public-interest issues, including political corruption. Rather than relying solely on a central newsroom, Pajhwok operates through eight regional bureaus and a nationwide network of reporters and correspondents. This structure supports reporting from multiple parts of the country and gives the agency a locally distributed presence. Pajhwok publishes in English, Pashto and Dari. The reference material describes an average daily output of roughly three dozen stories across these language services. It also produces photographs, video footage and audio clips, which it provides to international wire agencies, television networks and radio stations. The agency consequently serves both as a publisher under its own brand and as a content supplier to other media organizations. Danish Karokhel is identified as Pajhwok’s founder and director. His receipt of the Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award in 2008 brought international recognition to the agency’s leadership and journalism. During the following decade, Pajhwok staff members received awards for feature writing, photojournalism, reporting and other media work. The agency’s reported recognitions include a feature-writing award for Weeda Baraki in 2013, a best-photojournalist award for Fayyaz Umari in 2016, Voice of America media awards for Bashir Ahmad Naadim, Zirak Fahim and Bismillah Pashtunmal in 2018, and a journalist of the year award for Navid Ahmad Barakzai in 2019. Recognition continued in 2021, when Pajhwok was reported to have received a Media & Mission of Anti-Corruption award. Its editor, Abasin Zaheer, was also reported to have received a United Nations Development Programme award in December of that year. These distinctions reflect the organization’s stated emphasis on independent reporting, investigative work and journalism produced by Afghan reporters. Public reference material does not provide a verified founding year, a detailed chronology of ownership changes, financial information, or a corporate parent. It also does not establish whether the agency’s named leadership remains unchanged. The available record supports describing Pajhwok as an active Afghan news agency with multilingual reporting, regional bureaus, a national correspondent network and multimedia distribution capabilities.

1. 2021Anti-corruption media award

   Pajhwok Afghan News was reported to have received a Media & Mission of Anti-Corruption award in March.

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2. 2021UNDP recognition for editor Abasin Zaheer

   Editor Abasin Zaheer was reported to have received a United Nations Development Programme award in December.

   Source
3. 2019Journalist of the year award

   Pajhwok reporter Navid Ahmad Barakzai was reported to have received a journalist of the year award.

   Source
4. 2018Voice of America media awards

   Reporters Bashir Ahmad Naadim, Zirak Fahim and Bismillah Pashtunmal were reported to have received Voice of America media awards.

   Source
5. 2016Photojournalism award for Fayyaz Umari

   Pajhwok journalist Fayyaz Umari was reported to have received a best photojournalist award.

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6. 2013Feature-writing award for Weeda Baraki

   Pajhwok reporter Weeda Baraki was reported to have won recognition for best feature writing.

   Source
7. 2008Danish Karokhel receives international press freedom award

   Founder and director Danish Karokhel received the Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award.

   Source

An independent, Afghan-owned and operated news agency combining nationwide reporting, multilingual publication and multimedia services for domestic and international media audiences.

• General news reportingNews service

  Pajhwok’s principal service is continuous reporting on Afghanistan. Its newsroom and nationwide correspondent network produce stories for publication in English, Pashto and Dari, covering political and public-interest developments for domestic readers and international observers.

• Investigative journalismJournalism

  The agency publishes special investigative reports on important Afghan issues, including political corruption. These reports complement its regular daily news output and emphasize public-interest scrutiny of national affairs.

• Multimedia news contentMedia services

  Pajhwok also produces photographs, video footage and audio clips for its own reporting and for supply to international wire agencies, television stations and radio broadcasters.

• 2021Pajhwok receives Media & Mission of Anti-Corruption award

  Pajhwok Afghan News was reported to have received a Media & Mission of Anti-Corruption award in March 2021.

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• 2021Abasin Zaheer receives UNDP award

  Pajhwok editor Abasin Zaheer was reported to have received a United Nations Development Programme award in December 2021.

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• 2019Navid Ahmad Barakzai receives journalist of the year award

  Pajhwok reporter Navid Ahmad Barakzai was reported to have received a journalist of the year award.

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• 2018Three Pajhwok reporters receive Voice of America media awards

  Pajhwok reporters Bashir Ahmad Naadim, Zirak Fahim and Bismillah Pashtunmal were reported to have received Voice of America media awards.

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• 2016Fayyaz Umari receives best photojournalist award

  Pajhwok journalist Fayyaz Umari was reported to have received a best photojournalist award.

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• 2013Weeda Baraki receives feature-writing recognition

  Pajhwok reporter Weeda Baraki was reported to have won an award for best feature writing.

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• 2008Danish Karokhel receives CPJ International Press Freedom Award

  Pajhwok founder and director Danish Karokhel received the Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award.

  Other
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1. Pajhwok Afghan News
2. Pajhwok Afghan News official website