The Taliban’s Department of Information and Culture in Helmand has called on local media outlets to produce and broadcast continuous programs on the decrees of Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, so that, according to them, the public may gain greater awareness of these directives.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Taliban media office said that the Director of Information, Sher Mohammad Wahdat, during an inspection visit to three private radio stations in Lashkargah Ta’leem al-Islam, Ehtazaz, and Zaland Ghag urged their officials to produce special and ongoing programs to explain and interpret the issued decrees.
Meanwhile, some journalists say that forcing media outlets to cover specific topics contradicts the principles of press freedom and distances media organizations from their independent professional responsibilities.
The statement added that officials from the Taliban’s Department of Information and Culture regularly visit media outlets to ensure, as they claim, that the media provide services to the public within the framework of applicable laws.
Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued numerous decrees during his nearly five years in power, many of which have faced domestic and international criticism due to restrictions on the rights of women and girls. However, a Taliban spokesperson has previously stated that such criticism should “not be given importance.”
Currently, 23 media outlets operate in Helmand, most of which are radio and print media. Due to a ban on the publication of images of living beings, the activities of visual media in the province remain limited.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
