Taliban Honors Experts Despite Media Curbs

DID Press: Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture held a ceremony on Tuesday to honor political and media experts for their support during the U.S.-Afghan prisoner exchange and recent border clashes with Pakistan.

The ministry described the attendees as “supporters of national interests and defenders of Afghan unity,” emphasizing that the nation stood together in recent events. Sher Ahmad Haqqani, acting minister, and senior ministry officials participated in the event.

Deputy Media Affairs Minister Mohajir Farahi said media outlets and analysts who uphold “Islamic and Afghan values” will enjoy full operational freedom. Experts at the ceremony described defending Afghanistan as both a national and Islamic duty and praised the military’s courage against incursions.

However, the Taliban government has issued 22 restrictive orders on media operations, including extensive censorship, bans on covering protests, pre-publication approval, mandatory government-approved analysts, restrictions on female journalists, and deliberate internet shutdowns.

UN officials have characterized these measures as a deliberate strategy to control public discourse and regulate social behavior.