Taliban have cut fiber-optic internet services in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan on orders from their supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a move that has disrupted government offices and drawn sharp criticism, local sources told Amu TV.
Residents and officials said services provided by the state-run Afghan Telecom were completely shut down this week. While some local sources insisted only fiber-optic lines were affected, others said the blackout covered all Afghan Telecom connections in the province.
The Taliban governor’s spokesman in Balkh confirmed the shutdown. “From now on, there will be no internet service on this line,” he wrote on X, adding that the measure was intended “to prevent immoral activities.”
The disruption has paralyzed parts of the provincial passport office and customs department, according to residents. Local journalists and activists warned the ban is another step toward silencing freedom of expression and restricting Afghans’ access to the outside world.
Although mobile internet through private telecom networks remains available in Balkh, users fear broader restrictions could follow.
Two sources told Amu TV that the decision has sparked internal debate among Taliban officials. Six cabinet ministers are reportedly planning to travel to Kandahar to present the negative consequences of the order to Akhundzada. The split reflects wider tensions within the Taliban over increasingly strict social edicts, including a previous ban on photographing living beings.
Rights advocates say curbing internet access threatens basic freedoms in a country already facing some of the world’s toughest media restrictions since the Taliban seized power in 2021.
