The Taliban’s provincial police chief in Kunar has threatened local journalists, warning them not to report on complaints from survivors of a recent earthquake, according to several people familiar with the matter.
Zia-ul-Haq Hamed, the Taliban’s police commander in Kunar, told reporters in a meeting that they must avoid publishing stories that present what he described as a “negative” image of the authorities’ response to the disaster, the sources said. He warned that journalists who defy the order could face imprisonment.
Reporters were specifically instructed not to cover accounts from residents who said they lacked food, shelter, medical care and other basic necessities in the aftermath of the quake.
One journalist, who requested anonymity out of security concerns, said survivors have criticized local media for failing to highlight their plight, which they believe has hindered aid deliveries.
Earthquake survivors have told Amu TV that thousands of families remain without adequate shelter after their homes were destroyed. Many continue to live in the open, they said, and tents provided by the Taliban have been insufficient.
Taliban officials have said that 5,000 tents have been set up in two camps and that additional shelters are being erected as aid arrives from relief organizations.
The Taliban authorities in Kunar have not commented on the reported threats to journalists.
