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ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban have intensified restrictions on public life and independent media, banning music in a major tourist province and shutting down several local radio stations in moves critics say reflect a widening crackdown on freedoms across Afghanistan. Authorities in Nuristan province announced new Eid al-Adha measures prohibiting music for both residents and tourists, according to statements carried by London-based Afghanistan International. Under the restrictions, bringing musical instruments into the province has been banned, with officials warning that any instruments discovered at entry points would be confiscated and destroyed. The Taliban police command in Nuristan said the measures were aimed at maintaining &ldquo;order and public security&rdquo; during the holiday period. The group has long opposed music and, since returning to power in 2021, has steadily removed it from public life, banning broadcasts on television and radio and restricting performances in markets, public gatherings and celebrations. Many Afghan musicians have since abandoned their profession or fled the country. The latest directives also ban celebratory gunfire and unauthorized weapons, while tourists have been instructed to hold recreational gatherings only in designated areas. Taliban members travelling through the province were additionally told to keep personal weapons inside vehicles. The restrictions come despite Nuristan emerging in recent years as one of Afghanistan&rsquo;s most visited domestic tourist destinations during Eid holidays, drawing thousands seeking cooler weather and mountain scenery. In a separate development, Afghan media watchdogs accused the Taliban of using bureaucratic measures to silence independent media outlets after authorities shut down three local radio stations in Kandahar province. Local sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban intelligence personnel and officials from the Ministry of Information and Culture closed the stations &ldquo;Tahsin-al-Quran,&rdquo; &ldquo;Sanga,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Zama Zeewar.&rdquo; Taliban officials claimed the outlets lacked proper licences, had unpaid taxes and aired what they described as &ldquo;non-standard&rdquo; programming. However, the Afghanistan Media Support Organisation (AMSO) rejected those claims, saying the renewal of licences and administrative procedures had been delayed by Taliban authorities themselves. &ldquo;Silencing media outlets because of administrative delays is unreasonable and unjust,&rdquo; the organisation said. One station manager also disputed the allegations, telling the Afghanistan Journalists Center that claims regarding tax violations and broadcasting standards were &ldquo;false&rdquo; and merely a pretext to suppress independent media. AMSO warned that the closures further weaken Afghanistan&rsquo;s already shrinking media landscape and threaten the livelihoods of journalists amid worsening economic conditions. &ldquo;Closing media outlets amid the country&rsquo;s severe economic difficulties not only deprives citizens of access to information but also exposes many journalists and media workers to unemployment,&rdquo; the organisation said. According to media advocates, at least four local media outlets have been suspended by Taliban authorities within the past week alone, including a radio station previously shut down in Bamiyan province over licensing issues. The latest actions add to growing international concern over freedom of expression and civil liberties in Afghanistan, where rights groups say the Taliban have increasingly relied on morality regulations, censorship and administrative pressure to tighten control over public and cultural life.

Daily life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule - (Photo: Wikimedia commons)

Afghanistan

Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have banned music in Nuristan during Eid holidays and shut down three radio stations in Kandahar, moves media watchdogs and rights advocates say reflect widening restrictions on cultural expression, independent journalism and public freedoms.

Taliban tighten grip on Afghan media, expand public restrictions ahead of Eid

ISLAMABAD: The European Parliament has adopted a resolution, condemning the Taliban&rsquo;s penal code, calling for an immediate end to public floggings and executions in Afghanistan, and urging sanctions against Taliban leaders over ongoing human rights abuses. Lawmakers approved the resolution on May 21 with 480 votes in favor, five against and 83 abstentions,&nbsp;reported Afghanistan International, a London-based media organization focusing on Afghan affairs, on Thursday .&nbsp; In the Afghanistan resolution, members of the European Parliament said the Taliban&rsquo;s penal code has institutionalized the &ldquo;systematic persecution&rdquo; of women and girls and contributed to slavery, corporal punishment and widespread violations of fundamental rights, including what lawmakers described as gender apartheid. The resolution called on Taliban authorities to immediately repeal the penal code and lift restrictions imposed on women and girls, individuals, religious minorities and other vulnerable groups. European lawmakers also stressed the implementation of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court and called for expanded human rights sanctions targeting Taliban leaders. The parliament further stressed the need for increased humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people while maintaining the European Union&rsquo;s policy of non-recognition and non-normalization toward the Taliban administration. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education, limits on employment and strict controls on public life. Human rights organizations and international bodies have repeatedly criticized the measures as discriminatory and in violation of international law.

Building of the European Parliament in Brussels - (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The European Parliament condemned the Taliban’s human rights abuses in Afghanistan, calling for an end to public punishments and sanctions against Taliban leaders over systemic oppression of women and vulnerable groups.

EU Parliament approves resolution urging sanctions against Taliban leaders

ISLAMABAD: In southern Afghanistan, Taliban morality police have detained two doctors in Kandahar for treating female patients who were not accompanied by a male guardian, according to local medical sources and a report from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The doctors were arrested over the past four days in private clinics in the Hazrat Ji Baba area of Kandahar after continuing to treat women despite repeated warnings from officials of the Taliban&#39;s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the sources said. Medical workers said morality officers regularly visit clinics, hospitals and pharmacies across Kandahar and instruct doctors not to examine or treat women unless they are accompanied by a mahram or male guardian. Under the policy, women arriving alone must either be turned away or wait until a male relative arrives, according to healthcare workers. &ldquo;The morality officers come almost every day asking about women&rsquo;s examinations, male doctors&rsquo; work, and even our beards and clothing,&rdquo; one doctor said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. &ldquo;We are under immense pressure and do not know what to do.&rdquo; Healthcare workers said inspections also focus on personal appearance, including beard length, hairstyles and clothing considered by Taliban authorities to be Western in style. &ldquo;The morality officers tell doctors they must grow beards,&rdquo; said one healthcare worker, identified by the pseudonym Ahmad. &ldquo;If someone&rsquo;s beard is trimmed or shaved, they are treated harshly, insulted and threatened.&rdquo; Clinic managers said morality officers patrol different parts of the city daily to inspect private and public health facilities. &#39;Where should they go?&#39;Doctors warned the restrictions could have severe consequences for women&rsquo;s health in Kandahar, where female specialists are in short supply, and many women rely on male doctors for treatment. &ldquo;Many women do not have a male guardian, so where should they go?&rdquo; one doctor said. &ldquo;There are very few female doctors in Kandahar, and most women rely on male doctors. If this is stopped, health problems will increase seriously.&rdquo; In its latest quarterly report released Tuesday, UNAMA said Taliban morality officers in Kandahar, Uruzgan and Paktia had instructed health centers not to treat women without a male guardian. The report also documented detentions and mistreatment linked to clothing, beard trimming and listening to music and said female healthcare workers had been ordered to travel only with a male guardian.

Medical care in Afghanistan - (Photo: Wikimedia commons)

Action highlights growing restrictions on women’s access to healthcare in southern Afghanistan.

Afghan Taliban detain two doctors for treating women without male guardians

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan&rsquo;s Taliban authorities have removed women from the government payroll, ending reduced salaries for female civil servants who have been barred from working since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, according to a new United Nations report. According to a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), media outlets reported on Jan. 17 that women were no longer receiving payments in several provinces, effectively terminating their status as government employees. Some women were informed directly by their employers that they had been dismissed, while others discovered they had lost their jobs only when their monthly salaries failed to arrive, the report said. The move marks another tightening of restrictions on women under Taliban rule, which has sharply curtailed their participation in public life, education and employment. The report said Afghan women, including female UN staff, contractors and visitors, have been barred from entering UN premises nationwide since Sept 7, 2025. As of March 31, Afghan women had been unable to access UN offices across the country for 205 consecutive days, the mission said. The United Nations and rights groups have repeatedly condemned the measures, saying they amount to systematic discrimination and have deepened the humanitarian and economic crisis facing millions of Afghans.&nbsp;

Women in Herat wearing burqas (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Authorities remove Afghan women from the government payroll, ending reduced salaries for female civil servants barred from working since returning to power in 2021.

Afghan Taliban cut salaries of women banned from government offices: UNAMA

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s spokesman for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, while refuting the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s claims of targeting a hospital and civilians, says Pakistan&rsquo;s recent strikes in Afghanistan were aimed solely at terrorists and are grounded in precise intelligence, driven entirely by the need to protect its citizens. Speaking exclusively to Pakistan TV, the prime minister&rsquo;s spokesman rejected allegations levelled by the Afghan Taliban that a hospital in Kabul was struck. Zaidi maintained that the target was &lsquo;Camp Phoenix&rsquo;, which he described as a long-standing weapons and training facility used by terrorist groups. He emphasized that Pakistan&rsquo;s anti-terrorism operations are &ldquo;targeted, precise, and intelligence-led,&rdquo; and dismissed opposing claims by the Taliban and some media as unverified. &ldquo;The burden of proof lies with those making the accusations,&rdquo; he said, adding that no credible evidence has been presented to support claims of civilian infrastructure being hit. Pakistan maintains that its actions are part of a broader counterterrorism campaign targeting groups operating from Afghan territory with tacit support from the Afghan Taliban. Officials in Islamabad argue that repeated diplomatic efforts since 2021, including references to commitments made under the Doha Agreement, have failed to curb cross-border militancy. Independent analysts note that tensions between the two neighbours have escalated sharply in recent months, with Pakistan reporting increased attacks by terrorist groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan targeting both security forces and civilians. Zaidi reiterated that Pakistan does not view military action as a long-term solution but as a necessary response. &ldquo;We are pursuing a very specific, very targeted, very precise campaign against terrorist infrastructure,&rdquo; he said, adding that operations would continue as long as threats to Pakistani citizens persist. He further stressed that any pause in counter-terrorism operations would depend on &ldquo;clear, measurable action&rdquo; against the militant networks by the Afghan Taliban. &ldquo;Once there is a decisive break from support to these groups and the threat is eliminated, these strikes will stop,&rdquo; Zaidi said, underscoring that Pakistan&rsquo;s priority remains the safety and security of its people

Security

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesman for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, while refuting the Afghan Taliban’s claims of targeting a hospital and civilians, says Pakistan’s recent strikes in Afghanistan were aimed solely at terrorists and are grounded in precise intelligence, driven entirely by the need to protect its citizens

Articles tagged with "Afghan Taliban’s"

Taliban tighten grip on Afghan media, expand public restrictions ahead of Eid

EU Parliament approves resolution urging sanctions against Taliban leaders

Afghan Taliban detain two doctors for treating women without male guardians

Afghan Taliban cut salaries of women banned from government offices: UNAMA

Pakistan says strikes in Afghanistan target terrorists; operations continue until threats neutralized

Taliban tighten grip on Afghan media, expand public restrictions ahead of Eid