KABUL – The private broadcaster Shamshad TV resumed operations Sunday evening after a 48-hour suspension reportedly ordered by Taliban intelligence, marking the latest instance of mounting pressure on independent media under the regime.
In a statement, Shamshad said it had restarted programming “through mutual understanding and consent” with relevant Taliban authorities but did not explain the cause of the disruption.
The station’s television, radio, and social media broadcasts were suddenly taken off air on Friday evening.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) said the suspension was ordered by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI).
According to a Kabul-based source cited by the AFJC, Shamshad TV was accused of failing to sufficiently cover recent cross-border clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces and of not supporting the Taliban’s position in its reporting.
Taliban authorities have not commented publicly on the shutdown or its reversal.
The brief suspension has renewed concern about media freedom in Afghanistan, where journalists and outlets face growing censorship, intimidation, and arbitrary interference.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, nearly half of the country’s media organizations have shut down due to economic collapse and restrictions on reporting. Those that remain operate under tight Taliban supervision, often forced to self-censor coverage of political, security, and women’s rights issues.
Shamshad TV, one of Afghanistan’s largest private broadcasters, has previously faced similar pressures, including warnings over its news coverage and programming content. Its brief return to air underscores both the fragility and resilience of Afghanistan’s few remaining independent voices.
