Taliban shut down a radio station in the southeastern province of Khost on Wednesday, citing its use of background music in a broadcast, according to a report from the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC).
Officials from the Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue ordered the closure of Zhman Radio around 1:30 p.m. local time, the AFJC reported, quoting a local journalist. The organization condemned the move as a violation of press freedom and called on Taliban authorities to allow the station to reopen “immediately and without any preconditions.”
A commission meeting was held earlier Wednesday at Khost’s Directorate of Information and Culture, attended by representatives from the Vice and Virtue Ministry, as well as officials from local intelligence, police, and information departments. The commission reportedly decided to close Zhman Radio after determining that the station’s use of light background music during a program on social issues violated the Taliban’s media policies.
The Vice and Virtue Ministry, which enforces the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law, had issued warnings last week regarding the broadcast of music, which it deems inappropriate.
Zhman Radio is the second station in Khost to be shuttered under the Taliban’s restrictions on media content. Gharghasht Radio, another station in the province, was also closed recently for similar reasons but was allowed to resume operations three days later after providing assurances of compliance.
The AFJC noted that Taliban officials in Khost have instructed all media outlets to refrain from broadcasting music, warning of punitive measures for violations. Zhman Radio, a fixture in Khost for seven years, is among a growing number of media outlets facing increased censorship as the Taliban intensifies restrictions on journalism and public discourse across Afghanistan.
