APRIL 17, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghan Journalists Center (AFJC), today stated that the suspension of Noor and Baria TV stations’ activities and the blocking of their gates by the Taliban group is against the country’s public media laws. The centre stressed that media outlets should be free to carry out their duties, and the Taliban authorities should not restrict their activities or threaten them. The centre demanded the immediate and unconditional lifting of the Taliban’s order of closure of the two media outlets.
The Afghanistan National TV, which is under the Taliban’s control, reported that in a meeting of the Taliban-led Media Violation Control Commission, it was decided to send the cases of Baria and Noor TV stations to the court, and their broadcasts should be stopped until the court’s verdict.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture stated that Noor TV did not adhere to the principles of journalism and has been towards national, linguistic, and partisan prejudices without considering national and Islamic values.
It is said that Noor TV belongs to Salahuddin Rabbani, the leader of the Jamiat-e-Islami of Afghanistan Party, and Baria TV belongs to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan.
Some sources suggest that the Taliban has closed down these two media outlets due to political opposition between this group and the mentioned leaders, and media violation charges are just an excuse.
A few days ago Abdul Hakim Sharie, the acting Minister of Justice of the Taliban, stated in a meeting in Kabul that “political parties have no place in the interim government of Afghanistan, and using the name of a party is considered a crime.”
Referring to recent tensions between the Taliban government and Hekmatyar, the leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, he added, “Hekmatyar takes a position from his party’s address, but the party is not legal in the current Afghan system.”
Currently, the activities of these TV stations in Kabul have been suspended after the Taliban’s order, and they are not operating anymore.
Since taking power in the country, the Taliban has imposed many restrictions on media and blocked several media outlets on various charges.
- نویسنده : Afghanistan Women News Agency
- منبع خبر : Afghanistan Women News Agency
