Taliban Government Denies Nationwide Internet Ban in Afghanistan Amid Ongoing Communications Blackout

Islamabad:

The Taliban administration on Wednesday denied allegations of implementing a countrywide internet prohibition in Afghanistan, explaining that aged fiber optic infrastructure is deteriorating and undergoing replacement.

This statement represents the Taliban's first official response regarding a communications disruption that has severely impacted banking operations, commercial activities, and aviation services.

Several provincial authorities confirmed last month an internet shutdown stemming from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada's decree aimed at combating what they term immorality.

"The rumors circulating about us imposing an internet ban are unfounded," Taliban officials stated in a brief three-line communication shared via a WhatsApp group with Pakistani journalists.

The statement, also published on the X social media platform, quoted Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid attributing the ongoing nationwide service interruptions to "deteriorating fiber optic infrastructure" currently being upgraded. No timeline was provided regarding when or if services would be restored.

For Maruf Nabizada, internet connectivity serves as a crucial connection to Afghanistan. He departed the country in 2022 with his family, resettling in the Netherlands. He and his wife rely on WhatsApp to maintain contact with their relatives.

They have attempted hourly calls over the past three days, but their family members in western Herat province remain unreachable.

"When communication with your loved ones is severed, you become concerned about their wellbeing and safety," Nabizada explained to The Associated Press. "Just yesterday evening my wife became emotional because she couldn't connect with her mother and sister. We remain uncertain about the situation there."

He expressed concern about a potentially extended outage lasting weeks or possibly months.

"The situation becomes extremely difficult because while we cannot return, at least the internet provided reassurance through voice and video calls with our families, but now even that connection has been severed."

The connectivity issues were initially reported Monday by internet advocacy organization Netblocks, which documented collapsing internet connectivity across Afghanistan, including the capital Kabul, with telephone services also experiencing disruption.

Afghan airline Kam Air informed local television channel TOLO News that it would likely resume Kabul flights later Wednesday, after completely suspending operations since Monday due to the communications blackout.

Humanitarian officials have cautioned that aid organizations face significant operational challenges due to the outage, urging authorities to reestablish connections.

"Dependable communication systems are fundamental to our operational capabilities, delivery of life-saving assistance, and coordination with partners," Save the Children emphasized in a Wednesday statement.