The media have obtained documents showing that the Taliban have removed the word “National” from the names of several government institutions and replaced it with the term “Public.” These changes have been communicated to government bodies through an official letter.
According to these documents, the name “Radio and Television of Afghanistan” has been changed to “Public Radio Directorate” by removing the words “National” and “Television.” This move is part of a broader series of changes in the naming of government departments.
The letter from the Taliban’s Department of Affairs states that, in accordance with decree number 7242/3597, the names of several departments have been amended, and some new institutions have been established. The letter emphasizes that the updated list of ministries and departments for the fiscal year 1405 is attached to be used in future official correspondence and operations.
According to this decree, the “National Statistics and Information Authority” has been renamed the “Public Statistics and Information Authority,” the “National Disaster Management Authority” has been renamed the “Disaster Management Preparedness Authority,” the “National Environmental Protection Authority” has been renamed the “Public Environmental Protection Authority,” the “National Standard Authority” has been renamed the “Authority for Standards and Quality,” the “National Examination Authority” has been renamed the “Public Examination Authority,” and the “National Olympic Committee, Physical Education, and Sports” has been renamed the “Public Olympic, Physical Education, and Sports Directorate.”
However, the Taliban’s Department of Affairs has not provided an explanation regarding the removal of the word “National” from the names of these departments.
After regaining power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have made extensive changes to the structure and naming of government institutions. These changes include a review of the official titles of departments and their organizational methods.
The group had previously removed some Persian words, including “University,” from the names of academic and administrative institutions. These actions are seen as part of the new linguistic and administrative policies of the Taliban.
Additionally, the Taliban, based on their law of “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,” have imposed restrictions on the activities of visual media. Some reports suggest that the renaming of “Radio and Television of Afghanistan” may have been part of this framework, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
