BBC Pashto 'banned' By Taliban in Afghanistan
Ground Report | New Delhi BBC Pashto banned Afghanistan: BBC television news bulletins in Pashto, Persian and Uzbek have been taken off the air in Afghanistan. The British broadcaster said the Taliban regime had ordered its television partners to remove international broadcasters from its airwaves.
“This is a worrying development at a time of uncertainty and turmoil for the people of Afghanistan. More than six million Afghans consume the BBC’s independent and unbiased journalism on television every week and it is crucial that they are not denied access in the future,’ Tarik Kafala, head of languages at BBC World Service, said in a statement.
Now the BBC has urged the Taliban to reverse what it said was an order to cut international broadcasters from Afghan airwaves, which has blocked the British broadcaster’s news bulletins.
‘We call on the Taliban to reverse their decision and allow our television partners to return BBC news bulletins to their airwaves immediately.’
Kafala called the Taliban move ‘a worrying development at a time of uncertainty and turmoil for the people of Afghanistan.’
He pointed out that more than six million Afghans consume BBC journalism on television every week.
“It is crucial that they are not denied access in the future,” he added.
The development came as the Taliban, who seized power last summer and forced the hasty departure of remaining Western troops, diplomats and others, have come under increasing pressure this week on female education.
Women’s rights activists vowed on Sunday to launch a wave of protests across the country if the Taliban who now rule the country fail to reopen girls’ secondary schools within a week.
Thousands of high school girls had flocked to classes earlier this week after institutions reopened for the first time since last August.
But officials ordered schools to close again just hours into the day, sparking international outrage.
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