POLITICS — June 17, 2026
Afghanistan's UN Representative Criticizes Taliban Smartphone Ban
Nasir Ahmad Fayeq argued that the restrictions violate fundamental freedoms and will isolate Afghanistan from global progress while leaving half the population without education and modern skills.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Afghanistan International — corroborated by Hasht-e Subh — 2 min read
Nasir Ahmad Fayeq, Afghanistan's acting permanent representative to the United Nations, criticized the Taliban's ban on smartphones, stating that the restrictions deprive the Afghan people of knowledge, technology, and access to information.
Fayeq said no government survives through censorship and repression. He added that the measures violate fundamental freedoms and isolate Afghanistan from global progress, leaving half of society without education, work, and modern skills.
The ban was ordered by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and applies to Taliban members and government employees. The directive has been communicated to provinces including Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Logar, Balkh, Kunduz, Baghlan, Badghis, Badakhshan, Herat, Helmand, and Ghazni.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center condemned the order, warning that it will tighten control over freedom of expression and stop information sharing through messaging platforms.
Read the original reporting at Afghanistan International →
Reliability assessment
Both independent sources corroborate the core event of Fayeq's on-record public statement criticizing Taliban policies. The additional ban implementation details come from one source with concrete attributions to specific provinces and institutions.
The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Afghanistan International: "depriving the people of Afghanistan of the most basic communication tools", "fundamental human and Islamic freedoms are being widely violated", "condemning people to poverty, ignorance, and isolation" - these phrases use strong negative language to frame the Taliban's policies as deliberately harmful and unjustifiable, mixing reporting with advocacy and moral judgment.; Hasht-e Subh: "depriving the Afghan people", "deliberately depriving a nation", "condemning it to poverty, ignorance, and isolation" — these phrases frame the Taliban's actions as intentional and punitive harm, mixing reporting with strong negative judgment.
Independent web corroboration
A separate web search returned 8 matching reports. A selection:
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires to the United Nations, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, cited what he described as a recent Taliban ban on smartphones in public institutions as part of a wider effort ...
Faiq also criticized what he described as growing restrictions on information and communication, including a reported ban on smartphones in government institutions, which he said was intended to suppress dissent and conceal abuses.
Across the newsrooms
Where reports agree
- Fayeq publicly criticized the Taliban via X for depriving Afghans of basic communication tools, technology, information access, education rights, and modern skills.
- Fayeq highlighted violations of fundamental human and Islamic freedoms and warned that such restrictions condemn the population to poverty and isolation.
- Fayeq argued that censorship and repression cannot be justified and that no government survives by these means.
Where reports differ
- Specific details of the smartphone ban order, its communication to provinces, images of phone destruction, and reactions from the Afghanistan Journalists Center are reported only by Afghanistan International and absent from Hasht-e Subh.
Filed by 2 outlets
Afghanistan International
Originating
Framed
Framed
Hasht-e Subh
Framed
Framed
Filed under
Politics — Taliban, smartphone ban, Nasir Ahmad Fayeq, censorship, United Nations
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