The Taliban have enforced a ban on women and girls from engaging in phone communication with radio and television outlets in Khost province.
According to a report by the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC), an official letter dated Saturday, February 24, signed by Abdul Rashid Omari, the Taliban’s security commander in Khost province, outlines this directive.
The letter explicitly warns media officials in Khost province that facilitating phone contact between girls and media organizations will result in summoning and legal repercussions.
The document highlights concerns about the moral integrity of certain private radios in Khost province, citing instances such as broadcasting school lessons and social programs in which many girls participate. The Taliban’s security command contends that these programs enable girls to make unauthorized phone calls to hosts during both official and unofficial hours, leading to moral decay and violating Islamic principles.
Furthermore, the letter asserts that local radios and televisions lack authorization from the Taliban’s Ministry of Education to air educational content. The Information and Culture Directorate of Khost province has been tasked with relaying this directive to media outlets.
The AFJC has raised serious objections to this directive, expressing apprehension about its adverse effects on the operations of independent media. The organization has called for the revocation of this Taliban mandate, citing its inconsistency with the laws governing public media.
According to AFJC statistics, in addition to national radio and television, there are currently 15 private radio stations and three private television channels operating in Khost province.
It is pertinent to note that since the Taliban regained control, they have imposed stringent restrictions on media activities and journalists, frequently resorting to detention, imprisonment, and torture of journalists.
