Local sources in Nangarhar have reported that the Taliban forcefully closed the office of the radio and television network “Hamesha Bahar” in the province.
According to anonymous local sources, who spoke to Hasht-e Subh, the incident occurred on Tuesday, August 1st, when Taliban members attacked the media outlet and expelled its staff before shutting down the office.
Meanwhile, Atal Khan Stanikzai, the director of the media outlet, stated that the Taliban attacked the office without any prior coordination. They first closed down the journalism department and then proceeded to shut down the entire office.
According to him, the closure of the network’s office was enforced through intimidation by the Taliban security forces against the personnel.
So far, local Taliban officials in Nangarhar have not provided any official statement regarding this incident.
Available information suggests that the Taliban had previously threatened to shut down the journalism department of the network before finally taking action.
Within the department, 16 individuals were engaged in professional journalism training, including six female participants.
This incident comes at a time when the Taliban, following their renewed control over Afghanistan, have directly and indirectly blocked several media outlets in the country under various pretexts. During this period, a significant number of journalists have been detained, beaten, and imprisoned by Taliban members.
