The Taliban has closed the Kabul office of private television network Rah-e Farda, according to sources cited by Afghanistan International, amid a wider security operation targeting a nearby office representing Hazara elders and the Shia community.
Sources said the television station’s office, located in western Kabul, was closed by Taliban forces on Sunday. The office is situated next to the People’s Relations Office of Hazara elders and the Shia community, which was also reportedly surrounded by Taliban personnel on the same day.
No official explanation has so far been provided by the Taliban administration for the closure of Rah-e Farda’s office. The development comes amid growing attention over restrictions affecting media organizations and Shia community institutions in Afghanistan.
Rah-e Farda has previously faced restrictions from the Taliban authorities. The administration stopped the channel’s broadcasts last year in the month of Hoot. However, the network was later permitted to resume its activities in Jowza this year after receiving a new operating permit.
The latest closure raises questions about the future of the television network and whether the action is connected to the broader operation against the nearby Shia and Hazara community office.
The incident could further fuel concerns among Afghanistan’s Shia and Hazara communities over restrictions on their religious, social and media institutions. The Taliban’s response and any explanation for the closure will likely determine whether the incident remains an isolated action or forms part of a broader crackdown.