Television channels in Afghanistan’s Takhar Province have ceased operations following a Taliban directive prohibiting the broadcast of footage featuring living beings, according to the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC).
The Taliban-controlled Radio Television of Afghanistan (RTA) and several private television stations have been ordered to comply with the ban, which was issued by the Taliban’s Department of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Takhar. The ban, announced on Sunday, extends to all forms of media in the province, impacting both public and private broadcasters.
The new restrictions are part of a broader crackdown on media and personal freedoms under the Taliban regime. Similar bans have been implemented in other provinces, including Kandahar and Maidan Wardak, where local authorities have also been instructed to avoid on-camera appearances. Instead, officials are required to provide information to the media exclusively in audio or written formats.
Two private channels, Mah-e Noor and Raihan, have reportedly stopped broadcasting footage of people, opting instead to use other forms of communication to avoid potential backlash from Taliban authorities.
This recent decree has drawn widespread condemnation, both within Afghanistan and internationally. Critics argue that the Taliban’s policies are further eroding basic freedoms and silencing independent media voices.
