Written by Farzana Panahi, Translated by Mahdi Akrami
The Taliban have made cutting internet access a cornerstone of their political strategy, a move that is reshaping life across Afghanistan. It began in Balkh province, where the governor announced a shutdown under orders from the group’s leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who claimed that online platforms were spreading “immorality and false ideas.” What seemed a temporary measure quickly expanded to 16 provinces and then nationwide. For 48 hours, Afghanistan’s 40 million people were disconnected. Banks froze, families lost contact, offices closed, and trade stopped. The economy, already fragile under sanctions and instability, suffered another severe blow.
The decision to restore connectivity came not from Kandahar, where Akhundzada resides, but from Kabul. According to officials familiar with the matter, Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund issued the order. This move has exposed a rare split within the Taliban. At a cabinet meeting, Akhundzada reportedly warned that “bringing back the internet is like reading the funeral prayer for our system.” His remarks highlight a growing divide between hardliners, who see the web as a threat to their ideology, and pragmatists, who know that cutting access cripples governance.
When service returned, the Taliban immediately blocked Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. For thousands of Afghans who relied on these platforms for business, education, and news, the ban was devastating. Women entrepreneurs lost customers overnight. Students were cut off from online classes and scholarship opportunities. Jobseekers lost access to vital information.
VPNs remain the only lifeline, but slow speeds and high costs make them impractical. Reports of fiber lines being severed again in Kandahar and Kunduz have fuelled fears of a permanent shutdown. Attempts to bypass restrictions with Starlink devices were short-lived. Taliban security forces raided markets, banned sales, and confiscated equipment, signaling the regime’s determination to block any independent link to the outside world.
The consequences are stark. Journalists lose their last connection to sources. Teachers cannot teach online. Thousands of female students, barred from universities, are now locked out of virtual classrooms. With print media shuttered and radio and television under strict censorship, the loss of digital space cuts the final thread of public awareness.
Afghanistan stands on the brink of a digital blackout. If the Taliban enforce their plan to allow access only for those with government permits, today’s restrictions could harden into permanent isolation, swallowing not just the country’s online presence but its intellectual and social life.
Note: The photo is from the Internet.
