A Taliban deputy minister has urged Afghan media outlets to produce and broadcast programs highlighting what he described as the Taliban’s achievements over the past five years. Mohajer Farahi also called on the media to give extensive coverage to what he referred to as the Pakistani military’s “wrongful actions” against the people of Afghanistan.

Speaking at a meeting with media representatives in Kabul on Sunday, 3 August, Farahi, the Taliban’s deputy minister of information and culture, said media organizations should not only cover events marking the anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power but also produce a variety of programs about what he described as the “20-year occupation” of Afghanistan. He said such coverage would help inform both the Afghan public and the international community.

Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed extensive restrictions on the country’s media. Press freedom organizations have repeatedly warned that the group uses editorial directives, intimidation, arrests of journalists, and censorship to pressure media outlets into promoting narratives aligned with Taliban policies, severely limiting independent journalism.

The Taliban annually commemorate 15 August the anniversary of the collapse of the former Afghan government in 2021 as the day of their victory.

The group claims that it has improved security and advanced reconstruction efforts since taking power. Critics, however, reject these claims, pointing to widespread poverty, continued attacks by armed groups, and severe restrictions on civil liberties and the rights of Afghans, particularly women and girls.