Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the caretaker government in Afghanistan, has recently issued a decree stating that, henceforth, no one except for central and ministry spokespersons may express opinions on behalf of the government.
The Bakhtar News Agency, which is under the control of the caretaker government, reported today (Monday, September 5) that central spokespersons and government agencies are only to publish statements on political matters that have been approved by the leader of the caretaker government.
The decree further states that central spokespersons of the caretaker government should refrain from publishing any information that has not been approved by Akhundzada.
Additionally, the decree specifies that the activities of ministry spokespersons are limited solely to their respective departments.
According to this decree, they should disseminate information only after it has been approved by the relevant minister or head of the department.
It is noteworthy that since their takeover of Afghanistan, the caretaker government has consistently sought to conceal truths from the citizens of the country.
Over the past three years, the current government has imposed severe restrictions on journalists and media outlets.
According to statistics from the Afghanistan Journalists Center, the caretaker government issued 14 restrictive directives against media and journalists during its first two years in power.
These directives cover a wide range of media-related issues, including requiring female presenters to wear black masks and prohibiting the broadcast of music, as well as referring to the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.
