The Taliban Ministry of Information and Culture has issued an order mandating local media outlets and journalists in the northern Parwan province to seek approval from the Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency before publishing any content.
Mohammad Idress Anwari, the deputy governor of the Taliban in Parwan province, informed the local media of the order during a meeting held today in the province.
Before the Taliban takeover, there were a total of 15 state-run and private media outlets operating in Parwan province. There are now two controlled by the Taliban and three private outlets.
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Afghanistan Journalists Centre in its annual report in December 2022 said that “over half of Afghanistan’s 600 active media outlets (audio, video, print, and online) have ceased operations.”
The Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on media freedom, forcing some Afghan media outlets to move their operations abroad, many to close altogether, and some who have remained comply with the group’s restrictions.
