Hayatullah Mohajer Farahi, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister for Publications at the Ministry of Information and Culture, has called on journalists and media executives to highlight the group’s achievements across various sectors. He also emphasized the role of the media in informing the public, what he described as “combating intellectual warfare,” and promoting Afghanistan’s culture.
Mohajer Farahi made the remarks during a one-day capacity-building seminar for journalists, media officials, and young people in Bamyan province.
According to a statement issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, he urged journalists to give broad coverage to the group’s activities and achievements in different sectors, describing the media as playing a key role in informing the public and shaping public opinion.
He also stressed the media’s role in what he called “combating intellectual warfare” and strengthening Afghanistan’s culture, calling on media professionals to cooperate more closely with government institutions in these areas.
The Taliban official’s remarks come as media outlets and journalists in Afghanistan continue to face extensive restrictions on their work, access to information, and freedom of expression. International media advocacy organizations have repeatedly raised concerns over increasing pressure on journalists, arbitrary detentions, censorship, and restrictions imposed on independent media in the country.
The Taliban have consistently rejected such criticism, maintaining that media organizations are free to operate as long as they comply with the laws and regulations established by the group.
