RASC News Agency: Sources from Paktia reveal that the Taliban’s Minister of Higher Education has explicitly forbidden photography at a recent gathering, labeling it sinful and contrary to Islamic law. During his visit to Paktia today Monday October 21, Minister Neda Mohammad Nadim prohibited participants from capturing any photographs or videos, asserting that such practices violate Sharia law.
The event, held at Paktia University, saw attendees barred from all forms of visual and audio documentation. According to participants, this directive echoes a similar ban imposed during Nadim’s recent visit to Khost province, where journalists were likewise prevented from photographing or recording at Sheikh Zayed University. One attendee disclosed that no journalists were invited to cover the Paktia University meeting. Held in the university’s sports hall, the event took a peculiar turn as video presentations were halted upon the minister’s arrival, and all display screens were promptly shut off.
Although Nadim discussed the importance of various academic disciplines during the meeting, he made no reference to fields such as journalism or literature. He focused instead on enforcing the decrees issued by the “Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice”, once again reiterating his stance that photography is fundamentally un-Islamic. This development follows the Taliban’s recent decision to halt local television broadcasts in Takhar province as part of their broader campaign to restrict media activities. The regime appears to be intensifying efforts to eliminate photography and video documentation across the country, further eroding press freedoms in Afghanistan.
