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Abdul Matin Sarfraz

Abdul Matin Sarfraz

Journalist | Toronto | English
About Abdul Matin Sarfraz

Abdul Matin Sarfraz was born and raised in Afghanistan. He has personally witnessed his country’s political conflict and had the opportunity to study the inner workings of conflicts as a social phenomenon.

Though he has been directly affected by his country’s decades of conflict, he has not given up. He has continuously struggled to get a higher education in hopes that someday he, his children and all Afghans, will have a better future.

Abdul Matin received a BA in law from the University of Takhar, Afghanistan, and a master’s in journalism from the University of Hong Kong HKU through a scholarship.

Since 2004, he worked as a reporter with national and international media covering the insurgency, human rights, and governance in Afghanistan. In 2004, he co-founded the first weekly independent newspaper (Sada-e-Watan) in Kunduz province after the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

He has worked with international media outlets such as the New York Times, Reuters, Der Spiegel, German Press Agency DPA, Vice.com and local ones such as Pajhwok

News Agency and Radio Sada-e-Azadi Shamal.

He also co-founded and worked as editor-in-chief for Rasany Independent Daily Newspaper in Kunduz Afghanistan.

From March 2023 to March 2024, Matin was a Journalism Fellow at Canada's National Observer through the Afghan Journalists-in-Residence Program in partnership with Journalists for Human Rights with funding from the Meta Journalism Project.

174 Articles

Questions raised about Ontario's two-tiered heat pump program

The Save on Energy program limits eligibility to homes already using electric heating, excluding gas-heated households dependent on Enbridge. Critics argue this initiative prioritizes limiting electricity demand, rather than promoting sustainable alternatives — and reflects the Ford government's tendency to rely on fossil fuels and reluctance to support a genuine energy transition.

Toronto and Montreal lead with greenwashing bans

After last week’s decision by the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) to ban misleading fossil fuel advertisements, the City of Toronto's infrastructure committee approved a similar motion on Friday. This policy, which goes before City Council on October 9, seeks to block fossil fuel advocacy ads on city property unless they align with Toronto’s TransformTO climate plan and adhere to strict standards of accuracy under the Competition Act and the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.

Critics slam Ford’s proposal to block new bike lanes to fix traffic problems

Environmental advocates and cycling groups are slamming the Ford government’s proposal to block new bike lanes if they require removing car lanes. Internal documents obtained by CBC News reveal that the potential legislation is part of the Ontario government’s broader strategy to combat gridlock, particularly in Toronto. However, critics warn that it will not only worsen traffic congestion, but also make streets more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians.

Young activists create art in fight for Youth Climate Corps

In a small but lively corner of Spadina Avenue in downtown Toronto, young climate activists are transforming the space into powerful statements, their energy fueled by music and paint. They are urging the government to establish a national Youth Climate Corps, a program to train young people in green careers over a two-year period to lead Canada toward a net-zero future.