Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban's supreme leader, has issued a verbal directive to officials in Kandahar Province, instructing them to abstain from participating in video interviews, as confirmed by sources to Afghanistan International.
Kandahar National Television revealed a new policy which prohibits any human appearances on television broadcasts.
This directive comes close on the heels of a similar order issued by Mullah Shirin, the Taliban-appointed governor of Kandahar. He mandated that all government entities and local residents should avoid capturing and disseminating images or videos featuring living beings.
Further discussions with the Pashto section of Afghanistan International revealed that the Taliban's top leader has extended this ban to include video interviews with media outlets, indicating a significant shift in the group's media engagement strategy.
A reliable source disclosed, "Sheikh Sahib (Hibatullah Akhundzada) expresses frustration over the unnecessary media exposure and video interviews conducted by some ministers."
In response to these developments, it was noted that future media reports in Kandahar would exclude images and videos of living creatures.
Anonymous informants hinted at Akhundzada's intentions to implement these restrictions across additional provinces, signalling a broader enforcement of media control.
Afghanistan National Television in Kabul has reported unverified claims regarding the potential expansion of these image and video publication bans.
An impending meeting scheduled for next Tuesday between Taliban officials and media representatives is expected to clarify the scope of these new prohibitions.
Recent practices include publishing interviews with Taliban officials, such as Khalid Hanafi, the Minister of Vice and Virtue, in an audio format only, avoiding any visual content.
The group has also resorted to using archival images for publicising events, such as the Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's visit to Turkmenistan, avoiding the release of current photos or videos.
Recalling their initial reign from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban had imposed a strict ban on photography, filming, and television viewing, categorising these activities, along with music and the depiction of living beings, as un-Islamic.
Despite these historical restrictions, since reclaiming power in August 2021, the Taliban has not reinstated a complete ban on visual media, utilising it instead for widespread propaganda dissemination.
