Zia-ul-Haq Haqqani, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture under the Taliban, has asserted that media outlets in Afghanistan must operate in accordance with the group's policies and "highlight the achievements and progress" of the Taliban.
The Bakhtar News Agency, now under Taliban control, reported on Sunday that Haqqani held a meeting with several media executives.
According to the report, the Taliban's Ministry of Information and Culture convened this meeting to coordinate efforts with journalists and media representatives.
Images released from the meeting show no women in attendance.
Concerns over media restrictions have intensified following the implementation of the Taliban's "Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" law.
Exiled Afghan journalists have highlighted that the Taliban's "Propagation of Virtue" law, particularly the section on "The Information and Press," mandates that the Taliban morality police to ensure media outlets "adhere to virtues." This law restricts the definition of "virtues" to publishing content that excludes images of living beings.
Exiled Afghan journalists argue that the Taliban, through the enactment of the "Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" law, have imposed unprecedented restrictions on freedom of expression in Afghanistan.
