Since seizing control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has been progressively intensifying its oppressive measures against the Afghan population. The latest development is the complete shutdown of the internet, which has brought the country to a standstill.
SNPNEWS.IN News Update, Sep 25: The Taliban fully captured Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on August 15, 2021. Following this, then-President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, and the Taliban assumed complete control. This occurred after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, which had been present in Afghanistan since 2001.
Since the Taliban’s takeover, the lives of Afghan citizens, particularly women and girls, have become extremely challenging. Women are forced to live under strict Sharia law. Poverty, hunger, lack of healthcare, and a crumbling education system have left Afghanistan in dire straits.
On September 30, 2025, the Taliban imposed a nationwide ban on internet and telecommunication services.
The ban began in Balkh province on September 16, when fiber optic networks were severed, disrupting mobile data, broadband, and fixed-line telephone services.
A Balkh official stated that the internet services were shut down on the orders of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.By September 29-30, a complete blackout was enforced across the country. Monitoring agencies like NetBlocks confirmed that connectivity in Afghanistan has dropped to less than 1% of normal levels.
This has severely impacted hospitals, emergency services, flights, banking, trade, and customs operations. Several flights from Kabul Airport were canceled.
Click here for more News Update
Afghanistan’s 9,350-kilometer fiber optic network, built under the previous U.S.-backed government and crucial for economic development, has been shut down.
People are unable to contact their families. Some are secretly using Starlink, but its cost has skyrocketed to $1,500-$2,500 on the black market.Afghan activists have called this move “destructive to society.” Some attribute it to the Taliban’s fear of internal factions, while others label it as part of their “anti-progress” policy.
The United Nations (UNAMA) has demanded the immediate lifting of the ban, stating that it isolates Afghans from the world and endangers human rights. Media and activists have also condemned it as an attack on freedom of expression.This is the first time since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover that a complete nationwide internet ban has been imposed.
Additionally, the Taliban has strictly enforced measures to exclude women from public life, banning them from traveling, working, or participating in aid organizations without male supervision.Over 1.5 million Afghans have been deported from Iran and Pakistan, exacerbating the internal crisis in Afghanistan.