Taliban Leader’s Internet Shutdown Order Deemed Final

Banks in Mazar-i-Sharif city the capital of Balkh province faced serious interruptions on Tuesday, prompting Taliban governor Yousuf Wafa to order exemptions for banks, the national ID office and several other institutions. Internet access for banks in the city was restored by midday, according to sources.

The Taliban suspended internet services in five provinces on Monday including Kandahar, Uruzgan, Helmand, Nimroz and Balkh as part of an order issued by the group’s leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. The shutdown initially included households and government offices.

Days earlier, a delegation from the Taliban Ministry of Economy, joined by officials from the Finance Ministry and the central bank, travelled to Kandahar to warn Akhundzada that the restrictions would cripple institutions that rely on online systems.

Talks between telecom companies and Taliban officials have failed to produce a solution. At a meeting with private firms, the Taliban-run Ministry of Communications and Information Technology said mobile internet speeds would also be throttled to 2G. Officials stressed the order from Akhundzada was final and would be enforced nationwide.
The ministry said organisations seeking Wi-Fi access must file a formal request, which would be reviewed by the Taliban’s intelligence agency before a permit is issued.

NetBlocks, an internet watchdog, confirmed disruptions across Afghanistan. Wi-Fi services had been widely used in homes, offices and businesses before the shutdown.

The restrictions come as Taliban officials continue to court foreign investors, claiming the country is more open for business than at any time in recent history. Critics say cutting internet access undermines those claims and threatens Afghanistan’s fragile economy.

During two decades of international engagement, Afghanistan saw rapid growth in telecommunications, with several major providers offering internet services nationwide.

A female student told Afghanistan International that the shutdown had effectively closed the last remaining door to education for girls. “With the internet cut, the Taliban has also shut online schools for us,” she said.

The head of an online school reported that dozens of teachers and students across Afghanistan failed to log into their classes. Hazrat Wahrez, who runs one such school, wrote on Facebook that “just today, dozens of students, teachers and learners I know from at least three provinces, including Kandahar, could not attend their online lessons.”

The disruption follows the Taliban’s decision to block fibre optic and Wi-Fi internet in Kandahar, Uruzgan, Helmand, Nimroz and Balkh provinces, with sources saying the restrictions will soon extend to more regions.

Since the Taliban returned to power, schools above grade six and universities have been closed to female students. According to United Nations figures, nearly 3 million girls have been barred from education. Many turned to online schools and universities to continue their studies.

Former Education Ministry spokesperson Noria Nezhat wrote on Facebook that “the internet is the last tool Afghan girls have to continue their studies,” warning that the restrictions would most severely impact those already denied access to classrooms.

Experts say the Taliban’s internet shutdown may provide short-term control over the flow of information but will cause long-term harm to education, the economy and technological development.

Residents in Kandahar, Uruzgan, Helmand, Nimroz and Balkh provinces have lost access to Wi-Fi services, which are typically provided through home routers and other wireless devices.

The move came a day after the Taliban blocked fibre optic internet in Mazar-i-Sharif city, the capital of Balkh province. Sources within the group said the shutdown was ordered directly by Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.

According to the sources, the measure is part of a broader Taliban plan to gradually restrict both fibre optic and Wi-Fi services across the country. Independent observers confirmed that over the past three weeks, fibre optic companies’ services have either been completely suspended or severely disrupted nationwide.

Experts warn the restrictions may provide the Taliban with short-term control over the flow of information, but in the long run will cause serious harm to Afghanistan’s economy, education and technological development.

The Taliban’s defence ministry said Yaqoob met with Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s minister of state for foreign affairs. Enayatullah Khwarizmi, a ministry spokesman, said the meeting focused on bilateral ties and reaffirmed the Taliban’s support for Qatar. Qatar’s foreign ministry has not commented.

Muttaqi, listed under UN sanctions, requires approval from the Security Council’s sanctions committee for foreign travel. He recently failed to secure authorisation to visit India and Pakistan.

The visit coincided with a summit of Arab and Islamic leaders in Doha to discuss Israel’s recent strike on Qatar and other “hostile actions” by Tel Aviv. The Taliban were not invited.

In a phone call with Al-Khulaifi last week, Muttaqi condemned Israel’s attack, calling it “an aggression beyond all limits” and a “clear violation of international laws, norms and values.” He urged Islamic nations to adopt a united stance against Israel.

Qatar has played a central role in facilitating Taliban diplomacy, hosting the group’s political office in Doha and mediating talks with the United States that led to the 2020 agreement enabling the Taliban’s return to power.

Despite these ties, Doha has not formally recognised the Taliban government. At Monday’s summit, Qatar used Afghanistan’s tricolour flag rather than the Taliban banner and, in official statements, continues to refer to Afghanistan by its republican title instead of the “Islamic Emirate.”

Demonstrators chanted “Death to traitors” and accused the group of threatening their livelihoods.

A local resident told Afghanistan International that Taliban authorities moved to tear down several shops early Tuesday. Traders who arrived at work found demolition under way. He said the Taliban had collected taxes from the same businesses for the past four years but were now preparing to destroy them without prior warning.

Shopkeepers argued their businesses, some of which have been operating for four decades, were their only source of income. They demanded that the Taliban provide alternative premises before carrying out demolitions.

Taliban spokesman in Balkh, Haji Zaid, confirmed the shops would be cleared under a contract authorised by Taliban officials in Kabul to build a new commercial market. He said local authorities had spoken with protesters in an attempt to ease tensions.

Nasim Amiri, a former member of the Balkh Chamber of Commerce, told Afghanistan International the shops were owned by the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs and recently leased to a private company under the Taliban’s economic office for redevelopment.

Protesters warned that the demolitions would leave hundreds of families without income. Similar demonstrations over Taliban property seizures and demolitions have taken place in Bamiyan and other provinces.