In a move to supress media freedom in Afghanistan, the Taliban have introduced ‘11 rules’ against news organisations. The decision was taken to put an embargo on publishing content that is in conflict with Islam or insulting to national personalities.

The New York Times in a report mentioned that the Taliban have also asked the journalists to write or feature news items in coordination with government media offices.

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Steven Butler, a senior member of an US-based press freedom organisation said: “Journalists are just frightened.” He added, “The organization had been receiving hundreds of emails from [Afghan] journalists asking for help,” said the New York Times report.

The report mentioned that ever since the collapse of the Afghan government, over 150 media outlets in Afghanistan have shut down after failing carry out day-to-day functions. This is because the Taliban has been continuously creating intrusion in media’s ‘right to information’, which has hampered the work of journalists, reported Tolo News.

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Some of the prominent newspapers were also forced to stop print operations and go online-only amid the country’s sharp economic downturn, reported the New York Times.

Earlier in this month, the Taliban also cracked upon journalists covering demonstrations against the ‘new government’ formed after ousting the democratically elected government.

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Instead of keeping promises of honouring and respecting human values, the group continues to violate basic human rights of media personnel as they are being harassed, tortured, and killed.

Ever since the Taliban took over, there has been a change in the content being shown on private TV channels. Critical news bulletins, political debates, entertainment, music shows and foreign dramas have been replaced with programmes tailored to suit the Taliban government.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also asked the Taliban to immediately stop detaining journalists in Afghanistan and allow the media to operate freely and without fear of reprisal.

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Dawa Khan Menapal, the Director of Afghanistan’s Government Information Media Center in Kabul was killed in the first week of August.

Two days later, journalist Toofan Omar of Paktia Ghag Radio, was murdered by the Taliban fighters. Soon after Kabul fell, Taliban fighters began looking for journalists and many were tortured while some were killed, reported Al Arabiya Post.

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