The Taliban have ordered the shutdown of fibre-optic internet across Afghanistan on the instructions of the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, according to telecom industry sources.
Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban-run Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA) met with fibre-optic providers on 29 September and conveyed Akhundzada’s verbal directive. Providers were instructed to disconnect services in all provinces, including Kabul, until further notice.
“When company officials asked ATRA representatives what authority this action was based on, they were told it was a verbal order from Hibatullah and must be implemented,” one participant said.
Industry officials warned that a nationwide shutdown would not only disrupt household and business users but also paralyse critical services. Banks, customs offices and government institutions depend on point-to-point fibre connections, while telecom operators would face severe disruptions.
Taliban officials have not commented publicly on the move.
Earlier, a delegation from the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance and the Taliban Central Bank travelled to Kandahar to appeal against the decision, arguing that all operations of their institutions relied on internet connectivity.
According to sources, Akhundzada dismissed the concerns, saying the measure would be implemented gradually. He reportedly told the delegation: “During Mullah Omar’s rule, there was no internet, yet affairs progressed smoothly. Therefore, alternative methods must now be found.”
