“So, because suddenly all the traffic system was closed in the Kabul, most of the government officials was, they were just about escapes, and their bodyguards, and everyone was just… We can see that the police was just changing, throwing out their clothes, and they’re leaving their weapons, and they’re changing, just wearing their traditional Afghan clothes. Everyone was just about the escape and running. All the government officials escaped from the office.”
My name is Hamid Samar. I was born in Kabul in 1981 into a faithful and enlightened family. I completed my primary, secondary, and high school studies at Mahmoud Hotaki High School in Kabul. Because I have a sense of patriotism towards my country and my people, I invested in the country, like generations of my family before me. I always try to be innovative in my work. I’ve founded several companies and created local and international jobs for the Afghan people, both inside and outside of the country.
In 2004, I established the Park Palace Hotel, which became a home to more than 100 national and international guests. I also worked as an intelligence source for the U.S. military from 2008-2011. I founded the Modern Technical Company, which eventually became the Afghan original brand, Afghan Quality Auto Service. We made classic cars. I expanded my business enterprises and started a radio station called City Radio in the Parwan province of Afghanistan. Around the same time, I founded a media production company called Nay Media Production, and our first film production was nominated for an Oscar award.
In 2016, I founded the RASA television channel in the eastern Nengarhar province of Afghanistan. Due to my love of media and my previous successes, I decided to join Afghanistan’s media community forever. In 2017, I founded the ZAN TV broadcast channel, the first channel to broadcast specifically for the women of Afghanistan. Today, ZAN TV is well-known on both the national and international stages. It’s the only TV channel in the country working to promote Afghan women in politics, economics, and social media. In 2019, I also established Zan Media Academy – the first practical media academy for women journalists.
