Taliban on Sunday launched a new government data platform aimed at centralizing official information and highlighting what they describe as their administration’s achievements.
In a ceremony held at the Arg, the former presidential palace, in Kabul, senior Taliban officials unveiled the platform, known as “Parmakhtag,” along with a media directory and the 100th issue of a government publication.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesman, said the platform could help prevent the spread of misinformation and provide journalists with access to official data on government activities.
“The platform is to fill the gap for lack of information… Media outlets should see to it as a reliable source of information,” Mujahid told the gathering in Kabul.
He said the government’s media and information center (GMIC) had established the database to improve access to accurate and authoritative information.
Other Taliban officials, who addressed the event, said the initiative would help in increasing “transparency”.
“The initiative is intended to create a more organized system for disseminating information and presenting as facts,” said Abdul Wasay, the head of the administrative office of the Taliban chief minister.
Taliban also unveiled a booklet that included contact numbers, mandates and names of what they described “all national media outlets” and added that their number is over 200.
This comes as Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on access to information and journalists over the past four years.
Information by journalists support organizations show that at least four people, including three journalists and one media worker, are in Taliban custody.
International organizations and press freedom groups have reported a sharp contraction in Afghanistan’s media landscape over the past four years, citing censorship, arrests and intimidation of journalists.
According to the International Federation of Journalists, more than half of Afghanistan’s media outlets have ceased operations since 2021, leaving roughly 470 still active — many operating under strict limitations.
The group said at least 28 journalists were detained in the past year and documented dozens of serious violations of media rights.
Women journalists have been disproportionately affected. Their numbers have fallen from about 2,833 in 2021 to roughly 747 in 2025, a decline of about 74 percent, according to the federation.
