Taliban authorities in southeastern Khost Province have ordered a ban on the publication of images of suicide victims on social media, local sources told Amu on Monday.
The directive was issued by the Taliban’s provincial police command in an official letter, warning that the dissemination of such images should cease immediately, sources said.
While no official statistics were made available, sources said suicide cases — particularly among young people — have surged in Khost since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, prompting concern among both local residents and Taliban officials.
The order also instructs local religious leaders to warn young people about the moral and religious consequences of suicide.
“Most of the recent suicides over the past four years have involved young people,” one source said, citing unemployment, psychological stress, family problems, and drug addiction as primary contributing factors.
Previously released data by the Taliban’s police department in Khost indicated that 72 people died by suicide in the province during the solar calendar year 1403 (March 2024–March 2025).
