What is the fear of Taliban behind the smartphone ban? New order implemented in Afghanistan

New Delhi: अफगानिस्तान की सत्ता पर काबिज तालिबान प्रशासन ने नागरिकों की व्यक्तिगत स्वतंत्रता और आधुनिक तकनीक पर प्रहार करते हुए एक और बेहद कड़ा और अजीबोगरीब फरमान जारी किया है. Under the new order, there has now been a complete ban on the use of smartphones by all government officials, employees and Taliban Mujahideen. In this instruction issued by the Taliban’s military courts, it has been clearly warned that if any employee is caught with a smartphone in office or while on duty, his mobile phone will be destroyed on the spot. Along with this, strict punitive action will also be taken against the person found guilty under Islamic Sharia laws.

The only way is the written permission of the supreme leader.

The scope of this new order of Taliban is very large. This rule will apply not only to small level employees but also to high ranking officials of the government. If any officer or Mujahideen needs to have a smartphone in special circumstances, then he will have to take written permission for this from the supreme commander and main leader of Taliban ‘Hibatullah Akhundzada’. According to a report by the British news medium ‘The Guardian’, many such videos have also been circulated on social media in which Taliban officials are reading out this new Sharia order and are seen publicly breaking the expensive phones of those who violate the rules. Till now no formal press statement has been issued by the central spokesperson of Taliban on this.

Leaking of information and protests

Experts believe that more political than administrative reasons are hidden behind this sudden decision of the Taliban government. Recently, in Herat city of Afghanistan, women took to the streets to protest against the illegitimate arrests of women and girls. Many videos of Taliban forces suppressing this protest and the deaths had gone viral through smartphones. Due to which Taliban was heavily disgraced on the global stage.

Why is Taliban facing fear?

The Taliban also deeply fears that employees of its own government departments and Mujahideen are leaking sensitive government documents, confidential meetings and strategic information to the outside world or opposition groups using mobile phones. Many times, news of major decisions of the government starts floating on social media even before the official announcement. Local employees in Herat have confirmed that there was an unwritten ban on smartphones in their offices for the past several months and that many people’s phones were confiscated by the authorities and turned into scrap.

Preparation to implement across the country

At present this smartphone ban is not implemented uniformly across the country, rather it is being tested as a pilot project. In some parts of the country, this restriction is limited to offices only, while in some fundamentalist states, its direct impact is visible on women health workers, college students and teachers as well. If there is no major opposition to this, then in the coming time the use of smartphones and private internet can be declared completely illegal within the entire Afghanistan. This step will completely cut off Afghanistan, which is already suffering from poverty, from the modern world and global economy.