Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq acknowledged the reports on the Taliban’s attempt to appoint a replacement for Zakia Wardak, former Consul General in Mumbai
Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq. File | Photo Credit: X/@faiq_naseer
Days after Afghanistan’s most senior diplomat in India resigned over charges of smuggling, diplomats still loyal to the previous democratic regime in Kabul warn that the Taliban is making another attempt to install a nominee in India and urged India and other countries not to “normalise” ties with the Taliban. The warnings came amidst turmoil within Afghanistan’s Delhi Embassy and Consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad and a scandal involving a top diplomat accused of smuggling gold, that has left the missions in India practically leader-less.
“Normalisation and recognition should not occur until they take tangible actions aligned with the demands of the Afghan people and the international community, focusing on the formation of an inclusive system based on the will of the people, justice, and the rule of law,” Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq told The Hindu, pointing to many countries in the region that have now accepted Taliban appointed diplomats, although no country in the world has at present recognised the Taliban government. Afghanistan’s Embassies in China, Pakistan, Iran, the UAE and several Central Asian countries are now headed by Taliban-appointed diplomats, who replaced those appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government. However, the United Nations has refused to grant accreditation to new diplomats at the UN mission, citing the Taliban’s unkept promises on inclusive government, human rights and education and employment rights to women and girls.
Diplomatic sources confirmed to The Hindu this week that the Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi has also received documents appointing an India-based Afghan academic reportedly cleared by the Taliban Foreign Ministry in Kabul for the post of Acting Consul General in Mumbai. If granted permission by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the academic, who is currently pursuing a PhD at the South Asian University in Delhi, could become the first Taliban-appointed diplomat to take office at Afghan missions in India.
A similar attempt to appoint a Charge d’Affaires was thwarted last year after local staff locked the Embassy gates and refused to allow Qadir Shah, who was carrying a letter from the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, into the premises in May 2023. In September, the previous regime’s Ambassador Farid Mamundzay then announced he was leaving India and shutting down the embassy owing to a “lack of support” from the MEA, accusing New Delhi of softening its position towards the Taliban that took Kabul by force in August 2021. However, the Embassy was kept open for consular services for approximately 25,000 Afghans living in India, with a skeletal staff of about a dozen, and was run jointly by Mumbai Consul General Zakia Wardak, a political appointee from the previous Ghani government who had also been engaging with the Taliban regime in Kabul, and Hyderabad Consul General Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil.
Mr. Faiq acknowledged the reports on the new consul’s appointment attempt in India, saying that the Taliban is “inserting people” into missions worldwide as a means to “gain recognition”
The MEA declined to comment on the latest developments, and officials said they were not aware of the attempt by the Taliban to appoint a diplomat in India. Since reopening the Indian Embassy in Kabul in June 2022, the government has been engaging regularly with Taliban officials, and the MEA’s Joint Secretary for Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan J.P. Singh met with the Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi most recently in March this year.
The post of the Mumbai Consul General was left vacant this month after Ms. Wardak resigned suddenly on May 5, after she was accused of attempting to smuggle gold into India. According to officials, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) that had been tracking Ms. Wardak found gold bars on her person during a check after she landed in Mumbai on April 25. The bars, allegedly estimated to be worth ₹18 crore were confiscated, but Ms. Wardak was allowed to proceed as she claimed diplomatic immunity. In her resignation letter, Ms. Wardak said that she was the target of “numerous personal attacks and defamation… which appear to be organised”, and could not continue in her post.
Calling Ms. Wardak’s case an “embarrassment” for all Afghan diplomatic missions, Mr. Faiq said that “nepotism and corruption were among the greatest challenges under the former Republic [Ghani government] and this still exists under the Taliban regime”.
Taliban trying to normalise ties, install appointees in India: Afghan diplomat
At least four people were reported killed on Thursday during clashes between protesters and Taliban security forces in eastern Afghanistan.
Residents in Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, held a demonstration after being told by Taliban authorities to vacate their homes for the construction of a customs clearing facility, according to witnesses and officials.
Protesters blocked a busy highway linking Afghanistan to Pakistan and refused to allow the destruction of their properties. Taliban security forces fired gunshots to disperse the crowd and clear the highway to allow trade convoys to resume their journey in both directions, eyewitnesses reported.
An area information and culture department spokesperson confirmed the clashes, saying residents “created chaos in response” to the official order. Arafat Mohajer said that the violence resulted in the death of a Taliban officer and “a number of people who were occupying the [state[ land [illegally].” He did not share further details.
Protesters refuted the official claims, saying they had the deeds and owned the land.
A resident in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, confirmed to VOA by phone that firing by Taliban security forces killed three protesters.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan three years ago and faced no public opposition to their hard-line policies until this month.
Last week, farmers and residents took to the streets in northeastern Badakhshan province to protest the eradication of poppy fields by the Taliban counternarcotics units.
Security forces opened fire to disperse the demonstrators, killing two people.
Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, has imposed a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation and production, usage, transportation and trade of all illicit drugs in Afghanistan.
Some information for this report came from AFP.
Several killed after residents of Afghan province protest orders from Taliban
The World Food Programme has recently published statistics showing that currently, three million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition.
On Friday, May 10, the organization announced on its social platform X that the World Food Programme can only support one of every three children.
The World Food Programme has emphasized that the reduction in aid in Afghanistan directly affects the children there. The organization adds that addressing their situation requires sustainable financing.
Previously, the health section of the United Nations had reported that the number of women suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan last year reached 1.2 million.
Mona Sheikh, the head of nutrition at the World Food Programme, had earlier stated that the number of women suffering from malnutrition is expected to increase this year. She also mentioned that the number of children suffering from malnutrition in the country this year will reach 3 million, but only 1.6 million will receive assistance.
While the World Food Programme has released these statistics, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says that 23.7 million people will need immediate humanitarian aid in 2024.
The agency announced that despite the reduction in conflicts, the people of Afghanistan still have a serious need for humanitarian aid. The agency’s statement mentions that out of the 23.7 million people who need humanitarian assistance, 5.9 million are women, and 5.4 million are men.
Three million children suffer from malnutrition in Afghanistan: WFP
Previously, Kabul responded to the statements of the Pakistani army spokesperson, saying that Pakistani soil is occasionally used against Afghanistan.
The Pakistan Foreign Ministry called upon the Islamic Emirate to address the looming threat posed by terrorist entities.
Reacting to assertions made by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate, the Pakistani Foreign Affairs Ministry swiftly dismissed claims of Pakistani soil being utilized for hostile activities against Afghanistan as entirely unfounded
“With such effective measures, they should be able to demonstrate that these terror groups do not have sanctuaries and hideouts inside Afghanistan,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch the spokesperson for the ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said as quoted by Express Tribune.
Previously, Kabul responded to the statements of the Pakistani army spokesperson, saying that Pakistani soil is occasionally used against Afghanistan.
“We have cases where ISIS extremists have entered Afghanistan from Pakistani soil and are using it against us,” said Enayatullah Khwarizmi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense.
Citing recent remarks from the Pakistani army spokesperson alleging the misuse of Afghan soil against Pakistan, tensions between Kabul and Islamabad reignited last Tuesday.
While historical tensions between the two nations are not uncommon, the recent escalation begs the question: what precipitated this latest flare-up in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan?
Mohammad Matin Mohammad Khel, a military affairs expert, said: “This is a false claim aimed at diverting attention from their own failures to Afghanistan. They are fanning these issues when there is no such thing.”
Sadiq Shinwari, another military affairs expert, said: “It is nothing more than an excuse. Pakistan is attempting a new scenario against Afghanistan.”
Amid increasing insecurity in Pakistan, the country has repeatedly accused the caretaker government of harboring terrorist groups on its soil; however, the Islamic Emirate has consistently denied these accusations.
Kabul, Islamabad Trade Accusations of Harboring Terrorists
The day before, after the Kuchi protests in the ninth district of Jalalabad and subsequent gunfire, two were killed and four others were injured.
Following the deaths of two individuals in Nangarhar, local officials state that it is unclear who fired upon the protesters.
Local authorities in Nangarhar say the purpose of the land clearance related to the customs is to expand the Nangarhar customs area. Prior notice had been given to the residents of this area to evacuate.
Abdul Basir Zabuli, the spokesperson for the Nangarhar Security Command, stated: “When security forces and customs officials started their work here, the Kuchis launched an armed attack on the security personnel, which according to unconfirmed reports resulted in two Kuchis killed and four others injured.”
Qureshi Badloon, Director of Information for the Nangarhar Department of Information and Culture, said: “In the area where there was controversy and the customs wall was crossing, it was decided that no work would proceed from the customs side and the people would also stop their protests. The matter has now been sent to the leadership, and everyone is waiting for a decision.”
This comes after the commencement of clearance work on the lands related to the Nangarhar customs from the presence of Kuchi residents who had illegally built homes and settled there, leading to their protests.
Local residents say that more than 7,000 families have been living in this area for about 30 years.
They add that they are not opposed to the development of the Nangarhar customs, but the area should be legally handed over to them.
Nematullah Baz, a prominent Kuchi leader, said: “Previous governments had also told us not to build homes on a thousand jeribs of customs land, and that we could build homes in the plains instead.”
Minedar Ahmadzai, a local resident, said: “We ask the government to identify the perpetrators of yesterday’s incident.”
However, local officials in Nangarhar report that a commission has been appointed to investigate and identify the killers and to also resolve the controversies that have arisen between customs officials and local residents.
The lives of many people in Afghanistan are shaped by layers of poverty, poverty that, in different periods, has either caused deprivation or led to severe social insecurity. In this report, you read about the life of an elderly man who has parked his taxi in a corner of the bustling city of Kabul, and beside it, a loaf of flatbread from a clay oven is visible, which he says he uses to get through the day.
It seems that no one has listened to his words for a long time, and he hasn’t had an opportunity to share his complaints with anyone candidly. Habibullah, who is 60, has been driving in Kabul, Afghanistan’s busiest and most chaotic city, for about 30 years.
Habibullah says, “I work as much as I can until my body and nerves tire from the exhaustion and the noise of cars and roadblocks.” Before becoming a driver, he tried other jobs but believed that in “this country,” no job yields results: “We tried everything, from manual labour to farming, apprenticeship, and street vending, but nothing worked until I sold my ancestral land and bought a vehicle.”
The trial and error phase in this elderly man’s life has been so prolonged that it’s easy to conclude that no suitable jobs offer satisfying income. This compels Habibullah to drive in the city, even “these days when people have become very impoverished.”
He adds that currently, many people use bicycles out of necessity and poverty, covering long distances with them.
Citizens who cover long distances in Kabul by bicycle agree with Habibullah. Hamed, a 40-year-old man who cycles daily between Darul Aman and the Sarsabzi intersection, told Khaama Press, “I earn six thousand salary, and if I spend it on taxi fares, nothing will be left for me.”
Habibullah says he earns 200 Afghanis some days and 400 Afghanis on others, but a significant portion of this money again goes towards vehicle taxes. He likens his taxi-driving job to a bird endlessly wandering an unknown path.
He has parked his vehicle in a corner and is talking about his health issues. Diabetes and heart problems are among Habibullah’s health concerns. Beside him is a pot of tea and a piece of flatbread, part of which he eats in the morning and the rest around 12:00 PM if he gets the chance.
He says he currently has a debt of 25,000. To change the color of his taxi from the previous color to blue, he borrowed money and has not been able to pay it back yet.
Hard times in Kabul: Debt-ridden driver survives on a loaf of bread
Meanwhile, some Afghan migrants in Pakistan have complained about their dire conditions.
As the deportation of Afghan migrants continues from Pakistan, the U.S. State Department has requested the Pakistani government not to deport Afghan migrants from the country.
Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesperson, said at a press conference that in light of the situation in Afghanistan, the U.S. encourages Afghanistan’s neighbors, especially Islamabad, to refrain from deporting Afghan migrants.
“We will continue to work with the Government of Pakistan to address any issues or concerns. It is in both our countries’ interests to ensure the safe and efficient resettlement of those individuals. And we will continue to encourage Afghanistan’s neighbors, including Pakistan, to respect the non-return advisory, given the dire situation in Afghanistan, and to coordinate with international humanitarian organizations to provide humanitarian assistance, and to support the implementation of critical protection screening mechanisms,” Miller added.
Meanwhile, some Afghan migrants in Pakistan have complained about their dire conditions.
“I ask the government of Pakistan, human rights-supporting countries, and the United Nations to assist these migrants who have sought refuge here today and are far from their homes, they need your help, cooperation, and kindness,” Shafiqullah Kohzad, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, told TOLOnews.
“We do not have access to basic services in Pakistan. We cannot freely receive medical treatment in hospitals.” said Mohammad Sirat, another Afghan migrant in Pakistan.
In addition to the deportation and difficult conditions of Afghan migrants in Pakistan, Afghan migrants in Iran are also facing a similar plight.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation reported that nearly 3,000 Afghan migrants have been voluntarily and forcibly returned to the country from Iran yesterday (Wednesday, May 8).
US State Dept Asks Pakistan to Respect ‘Non-Return Advisory’
According to officials from these institutions, they have conducted discussions with government figures and citizens of the country in this study.
The Sahar Union Discourse Center and the Iranian Research and Study Delegation said that their research findings indicate that Afghanistan’s current challenges can be resolved through dialogue with neighboring countries.
According to officials from these institutions, they have conducted discussions with government figures and citizens of the country in this study.
Fazl Rahman Orya, head of the Sahar Discourse Center, emphasizing the expansion of relations with neighboring countries by the interim government, said that some of the existing challenges in various sectors can be resolved through dialogue with neighboring countries and the region.
Orya also announced the holding of an international conference on Afghan issues in Tehran.
The head of the Sahar Discourse Center said: “Our first agreement was to hold an international conference on Afghanistan in Iran, under a unified agenda that will be discussed together, and another agreement that took place is to hold an international conference on how the Islamic world is oppressed and tyrannized by the West, to be held in Kabul.”
Meanwhile, the strategic advisor to the Iranian ambassador in Kabul emphasized the importance of combating terrorism and narcotics, and the formation of a unified regional policy and security agreements among Afghanistan’s neighboring countries.
Seyed Ali Moujani also said that the issue of terrorism should not affect the relations of the interim government with neighboring countries and the region.
Seyed Ali Moujani added: “We should be able to reach a security pact among all neighbors and Afghanistan; a pact that represents six countries plus one country, Afghanistan. This is a six-plus-one union that can guarantee Afghanistan’s future.”
The strategic advisor to the Iranian ambassador in Kabul also emphasized the importance of facilitating discussions among various directions inside and outside of Afghanistan and added that the political stability of Afghanistan depends on the formation of an inclusive and responsible government.
Seyed Ali Moujani said: “A successful government in the history of Afghanistan is a stable government. The history of Afghanistan has shown that a government of a single ethnicity, a single language, and political coups have never been stable.”
According to the officials of the Sahar Discourse Center, this center was established on February 07, 2024, to facilitate discussions among different directions inside and outside of Afghanistan and to advise the government on overcoming the existing challenges in the country.
Study: Afghanistan’s Challenges With Neighbors Can Be Solved By Dialogue
Afghanistan is a deeply complex country, marred by years of conflict and unrest, and for many of us, a place we’d never thought to step foot in. But in the Seventies, the country, and its capital Kabul, was a key stop on the ‘hippie trail’, and still today, it’s home to some of the world’s most beautiful natural landscapes – including the Band-e-Amir National Park and what’s left of the Buddhas of Bamiyan – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former holy site on the Silk Road.
Hoping to change people’s perceptions of the country’s landscape and its everyday people is British photojournalist Joe Sheffer, who founded Safarāt Travel in 2021, shortly after the fall of Kabul. Safarāt aims to help Afghan people tell their stories, earn a livelihood and educate travellers about this complex and troubled, but still beautiful country. Safarāt goes beyond the headlines of the regime and its brutality to an Afghanistan that often gets left behind. Afghans are keen to work and showcase their country, its food, history and landscapes, and Safarāt allows a glimpse into this, from its three-night Long Weekender trip to two-week deep dives into the Pashtun heartlands.
Trips include airport pick-ups and homestays, giving work to local people, and simultaneously showcase the country’s beauty but also highlight its troubles, creating a unique and immersive way of travelling. Women, too, are welcome, and solo female travellers have embarked on Sheffer’s tours thanks to the processes put in place by his team. We sat down with Sheffer to discuss his venture, its challenges, and why, so he says, there’s never been a safer time to explore Afghanistan travel.
The Buddhas of Bamiyan
Safarat: Afghanistan Travel
Why did you want to showcase Afghanistan in a different light?
I’ve reported on Afghanistan for over a decade and first visited in 2012. I’ve always loved Afghanistan and been fascinated with it. I studied the country at university and always wanted to get into the interior, which was always very difficult. As a journalist, I spent a long time embedded with coalition forces in Afghanistan. Still, I never felt the majority of us could speak to Afghans without the menace of soldiers around, so I wanted to travel deeper, speak to them and hear their stories. When Kabul fell, a huge number of international organisations pulled out of the country. So many people specialising in Afghanistan were left unemployed. The economic situation was awful, so, along with a former fixer who I knew and worked with, we decided to try and tell Afghanistan’s story differently. I decided to start Safarāt to give people an inside view of the country. We encourage people to think of themselves as part of a documentary and to hear Afghanistan’s stories from Afghans.
How have you been received by the travel community? Has there been any backlash?
It is a tricky one, and there are many ethical questions with travelling in Afghanistan right now. Obviously, the Taliban is not an internationally recognised government, and we definitely legitimise them by visiting and putting dollars into the regime. So there’s been a little bit of criticism, but as far as I’m concerned, we’re doing more good than harm in Afghanistan; we’re not just greenwashing the regime. Many Afghans have come to me and said, ‘we’d be delighted to showcase the country, but please tell the truth, there are still problems in our country’. The regime in Kabul is a flawed one, and please tell the truth and don’t use your white privilege to travel where you want, because for normal people, it’s hard. We include homestays and visits to local villages as part of your tours.
Remains of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Bamiyan Valley – destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001
Can this type of tourism benefit the Afghan people?
It’s very common in Afghanistan for a single person to be the breadwinner for 20, 30, 40 people. So by putting a fair salary into a family, particularly in a rural area, either through a homestay or even for a few days mountain guiding, we can massively improve that families here. For example, we have homestay, and they’re potato farmers, and an entire year’s salary is about USD1,000 – so by coming in for a single night with a group, we’re able to increase their annual salary by 10, 15, 20 per cent for just a single night. We have to be careful, of course, not to create tension in villages and not put everyone in just one village, but this is what we call our ‘conflict- sensitive approach’. Afghans are proud; they don’t want handouts, they want to work and do jobs they feel proud of and that are legitimate. The situation for Afghan women is, of course, terrible, but the men feel like they want to provide for their families, and they’re delighted and very keen to interact with foreigners.
You openly say life for women is terrible. But is there a way this can help women in Afghanistan?
Hospitality is one of the few places where women can actually be employed, and because we have female visitors, then we need to employ females to be with our guests be- cause of segregation. I’m not going to dress it up, the situation of Afghan women is appalling. It’s a source of international outrage, but at the same time, Afghans can’t be punished for the regime’s behaviour.
LR: a young Afghan boy; a Safarāt tour group in the Bamiyan Valley; boats on Band-e Amir national park’s striking blue lake
Do you have women travellers? Can they participate in all the excursions men can?
It’s a big subject. As a traveller and, particularly, a Western traveller, you’re held to completely different standards to Afghan women. And I don’t think that the treatment of our male guests to our female guests is really any different. As a foreign woman, you get a pass to enter national parks and monuments. So, generally speaking, you’re going to get to do everything. Our female colleagues are required to wear a hijab as a minimum, but many of our customers feel happier wearing an abaya.
You’ve said that Afghanistan is much safer under the Taliban regime. How can this be true?
I don’t think there’s been a safer time to visit Afghanistan since 1979, as most insurrections were caused by the Taliban, but that’s not to say there aren’t storm clouds on the horizon. Afghanistan is still reeling after 40 years of war, so we need to tread carefully. There are challenges, but the security situation has improved massively. The atmosphere on the street is good, people are generally very happy to see foreigners, they’re very proud and want to come and visit Afghanistan, which I think is great. Generally speaking, people are delighted, even in the Pashtun South to see you. They want to meet and talk to you.
What is a personal highlight of the tours for you?
So many things we do and show you will tell you more than one story. One is a wall walk, an incredible ancient wall which dissects the mountain that splits Kabul. You’ve got thousands of years’ worth of history; we tend to actually walk up with the Taliban. But you really see the last 30 years of Afghanistan: we see slums, we see evidence of the Bala Hisar, which was the site of the start of the first Anglo-Afghan war. We see thousands of years of history but also modern politics, and you get recent history, modern history and current issues all in one hike. It’s stunning and beautiful at the same time, but we’re talking about social issues. You would do this on our Afghan Weekender trip from Abu Dhabi.
LR: Buddhist Head in Kabul Museum; homestays include meals with local Afghan people
Tell us about Afghanistan’s creative scene. Is there an artisan culture?
There’s been big investment in the last 20 years from groups like the Khan Foundation and the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Afghan craft. The legacy of the hippie trail is still evident in Kabul, it’s called Chicken Street and tourists used to flock to it in the Sixties and Seventies before the Civil War, and there are beautiful things to buy. A lot of that has been regenerated over the years, particularly traditional glassblowing nuristani carving, traditional woodwork lattice work that we call ‘jalli’. I love shopping in Kabul, people love the carpets I bring back. Some of my favourite things to buy are yak hair scarves from the mountains of Badak Shan and calligraphy from the mogul period – a skill that’s taught by the Turquoise Mountain Foundation. Beyond that, there are antiquities for sale in Chicken Street and precious stones; a huge amount of the world’s precious gems come from Afghanistan – there is beautiful blue stones, there are emeralds, and rubies. There’a lot to buy.
How do people travel on your tours?
If you were to come on one of our weekend trips, you’d have your own vehicle, and you’d be alone with one of our guides, like Qudratullah Noory, a former fixer who is extremely experienced and has worked a lot in Western NGOs and Western television. If you came up with about longer trips, you’d be within a group of eight to 12. And you would have an experienced journalist, someone like myself, and we would move together and eat together. We’re trying to read some special guests to tell you their stories. You spend most of your time with the group, but there are chances to wander off. We pick you up from the airport, take you to the sights and look after you – it’s the perfect way to see Afghanistan’s story.
Tourists camping beside a river in Bamiyan
Afghanistan Travel With Safarat
Key sights
Kabul’s old city Bazaar and bird market
Hike Kabul’s famous ‘wallwalk’–an ancient wall across Sher Derwaza mountain which dates to the 5th century AD
Eat dumplings with pomegranate farmers of Kandahar’s Arghandab valley
Wild camp at the base of the remote Minaret of Jam
Explore the remnants of America’s longest war against Helmand’s desert moonscape
Explore Afghanistan’s cultural capital, Herat
Hike the stunning landscape of Band-E-Amir National Park
Safarāt operates tours from three to 14 nights, with prices starting at USD800 (about AED2,950). Price includes accommodation, breakfast, guides, transport, permits and visa support. Emirates and FlyDubai fly direct to Kabul in three hours 20 minutes, with return fees from AED1,900. safarat.co, hello@safarat.co, @safarat.co. 2024 tours run between May and October.
The Taliban are warning journalists and experts against working with Afghanistan International TV
KABUL, Afghanistan — KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban on Thursday warned journalists and experts against working with Afghanistan International TV, saying they would be committing a crime if they cooperated with the station. It’s the first time they have told people not to cooperate with a specific outlet.
Afghanistan International TV, which is headquartered in London, is accessible through satellite, cable and social media.
A spokesman for the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Information and Culture alleged the station was committing professional violations and violating moral and legal boundaries.
The Media Violations Commission wanted all journalists and experts in Afghanistan to cease their collaboration with the station, said ministry spokesman Habib Ghofran.
“At the commission’s meeting held yesterday (Wednesday), it was decided that participating in discussions and facilitating the broadcast of this media outlet in public places is prohibited,” added Ghofran.
The deputy minister for broadcasting Zia ul Haq Haqmal said people would be committing a crime if they cooperated with the station.
He cited 10 reasons to avoid working with Afghanistan International TV, including its alleged distortion or falsification of information and campaigning against the ruling system.
“If someone does not cooperate on the basis of all these 10 reasons, then it’s the court’s job to give a punishment,” said Haqmal.
The director of Afghanistan International TV, Harun Najafizada, said the commission’s decision would not affect the channel because it had no employees or freelancers in the country.
“We don’t have anyone on the ground and rely on the reporting of Afghan citizens,” said Najafizada. “That’s more challenging, but we have tough verification. It’s a threat to free media, to other media, and to put pressure on us to forgo our professional standards. It’s not going to work.”
Afghanistan fares abysmally in terms of press freedom. The latest index from Reporters without Borders ranked the country 178 out of 180. It ranked 152 last year.
The organization said three radio reporters were arrested in April for broadcasting music and receiving calls from female listeners during shows. Local authorities weren’t available to confirm the arrests.
Also last month, the Taliban suspended two TV stations for failing to “consider national and Islamic values.”
The director for one of the suspended stations, Barya TV, rejected the Taliban’s allegations. The station is still off air.
Latif Sadiq said the station wasn’t informed about the suspension. “The reports that they repeatedly warned (Barya) are absolute lies,” Sadiq said Thursday. “They have decided on their own that (Barya) television is off, broadcasting is off, and they said the case will go to court.”
Many journalists lost their jobs after the Taliban takeover in 2021, with media outlets closing over a lack of funds or because their staff left the country. Women journalists face additional hardships because of work bans and travel restrictions.
During their previous rule in the late 1990s, the Taliban barred most television, radio and newspapers.
The Taliban warn journalists and experts against cooperating with Afghanistan International TV