Khaama Press
Khaama Press is an Afghan online news agency publishing reporting and information in English, Pashto, and Persian.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Khaama Press is an online news agency headquartered in Kabul, Afghanistan. Journalist Khushnood Nabizada founded the organization on 25 October 2010. Its name comes from the Persian word for “pen,” reflecting the publication’s identity as a written news and information service. Khaama Press initially operated as a blog that published general information and biographies of notable politicians and historical figures. It later expanded into broader news coverage of Afghanistan and related regional affairs. The agency publishes in English, Pashto, and Persian, allowing it to serve domestic Afghan-language audiences as well as international readers who follow political, security, social, and current-affairs developments in Afghanistan. Its digital-first model places the website at the center of its activities, with multilingual publication functioning as a principal part of the brand’s reach and identity. Khaama Press has operated in a difficult media environment. Its Kabul office building was damaged in a suicide bombing in February 2014. The organization’s founder, Khushnood Nabizada, survived a roadside bomb attack on his vehicle in Kabul on 1 February 2021. On 28 October 2021, Khaama Press journalist Abdul Khaliq Hussaini was assaulted by two gunmen while driving to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. He was beaten and shot, suffering injuries to his head and shoulder; two suspects were subsequently detained by the Taliban. In February 2024, editor-in-chief Mansoor Nekmal was arrested by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice after Khaama Press published a video report containing interviews with women whose hair was partially visible. These incidents illustrate the risks faced by the publication and its staff while producing journalism in Afghanistan. They also form an important part of the brand’s public history, alongside its development from a small information blog into a multilingual online news agency. Publicly available reference material does not establish a parent company, ownership group, stock-market listing, or financial profile for Khaama Press. The available record identifies it primarily as an independent Afghan digital media outlet rather than as a product line of a larger international media corporation.
History
Khaama Press was established in Kabul on 25 October 2010 by Afghan journalist Khushnood Nabizada. The publication began as a blog intended to provide general information and biographies of notable politicians and historical figures. Its initial format was narrower than a conventional news organization, but the service subsequently broadened its editorial scope into general news coverage. The brand’s name is derived from the Persian word for “pen,” a reference to writing and journalism. Khaama Press developed as an online news agency rather than as a print newspaper or broadcast network. It publishes in English, Pashto, and Persian, giving it a multilingual role within Afghanistan’s media environment and enabling its reporting to reach readers outside the country. The organization’s history has been shaped by the security and political pressures affecting Afghan journalism. In February 2014, the building in Kabul that housed its office was damaged in a suicide bombing. On 1 February 2021, founder Khushnood Nabizada survived a roadside bomb attack directed at his vehicle in Kabul. Later that year, on 28 October, Khaama Press journalist Abdul Khaliq Hussaini was assaulted by two gunmen while he was driving to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The journalist was beaten and shot, with injuries to his head and shoulder. The available account states that two suspects were later detained by the Taliban. The publication continued to face restrictions after the Taliban’s return to power. On 17 February 2024, editor-in-chief Mansoor Nekmal was arrested by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. The arrest followed publication of a video report featuring interviews with women whose hair was partially visible. The episode demonstrates how editorial and visual-content decisions can expose Afghan media organizations and their staff to direct official intervention. Khaama Press’s documented trajectory is therefore one of expansion from a small information blog into a multilingual online news agency, combined with sustained exposure to violence and regulatory pressure. Public reference material does not provide verified details about corporate ownership, financing, revenue, a parent company, or a formal listing. Its identifiable public role is that of an Afghan digital publisher serving English-, Pashto-, and Persian-language audiences.
- 2024
Editor-in-chief arrested after video report
[1]Mansoor Nekmal was arrested after publication of a video report featuring women whose hair was partially visible.
- 2021
Founder survives roadside attack
[1]Khushnood Nabizada survived a roadside bomb attack on his vehicle in Kabul on 1 February.
- 2021
Journalist attacked in Kabul
[1]Abdul Khaliq Hussaini was assaulted and shot while traveling to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan on 28 October.
- 2014
Kabul office damaged in bombing
[1]The building housing Khaama Press’s office was damaged in a suicide bombing in February.
- 2010
Khaama Press founded in Kabul
[1]Khushnood Nabizada established Khaama Press on 25 October 2010 as an online information and blogging project.
Products and positioning
A multilingual Afghan digital news agency focused on publishing information and news about Afghanistan for domestic and international readers.
Online journalism
English-language news service
Khaama Press publishes news and current-affairs material in English for international readers and English-speaking audiences interested in Afghanistan. The English service is part of the agency’s multilingual digital offering rather than a separately documented corporate subsidiary.
Online journalism
Pashto-language news service
The Pashto service provides Khaama Press content in one of Afghanistan’s principal languages. Public reference material identifies Pashto as one of the agency’s publication languages, but does not provide separate information about its staffing, launch date, or product architecture.
Online journalism
Persian-language news service
The Persian service extends Khaama Press’s reporting to Persian-speaking readers in Afghanistan and elsewhere. It is one of the three languages associated with the agency’s online publishing operation.
Digital video journalism
Video reports and interviews
Khaama Press also produces video-based reporting and interviews. A February 2024 video report featuring interviews with women became the subject of intervention by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
Brand decisions
2024
Publication of video report featuring womenOtherBackground
Khaama Press published a video report containing interviews with women whose hair was partially visible.
Action taken
The report was published as part of the agency’s video journalism output.
Aftermath
Editor-in-chief Mansoor Nekmal was arrested by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice on 17 February 2024.
Recent events
- 2024
Editor-in-chief arrested after report featuring women[1]
Regulation · Other
Editor-in-chief Mansoor Nekmal was arrested by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice after publication of a video report in which some interviewed women’s hair was partially visible.
- 2021
Khaama Press founder survives roadside bomb attack[1]
Other
Founder Khushnood Nabizada survived a roadside bomb attack on his vehicle in Kabul on 1 February 2021.
- 2021
Khaama Press journalist assaulted and shot in Kabul[1]
Other
Journalist Abdul Khaliq Hussaini was attacked by two gunmen while traveling to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. He sustained head and shoulder injuries, and two suspects were later detained by the Taliban.
- 2014
Khaama Press office building damaged in Kabul suicide bombing[1]
Other
The building housing Khaama Press’s Kabul office was damaged in a suicide bombing.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/khaama-press · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled