
In anunprecedented discussion,a female presenter interviewed a Taliban spokespersonon an Afghanistan television channelover thegroup’s plans for the countryon Tuesday.
The development came afterinsurgents seized control of the capital, Kabul.
PresenterBeheshtaArghand’sdiscussion withTalibanspokespersonMawlawiAbdulhaqHemadis being claimed to be asthe first time an Afghan woman has interviewedwith a senior Taliban official inside the country’s bordersbynews channel TOLO News.
Saad Mohseni,Chief Executive Officer, Moby Media Group, who runsTOLO News, has suggested the Taliban were going out of their way to placate watching western governments and media outlets.
Mohseni,a Dubai-based Afghan-Australian citizen,said,“It’s important for them to win hearts and minds, and show the internationals that they’re legitimate and that they’re folks you can work with. In this phase,the media will have a great deal more freedom than in the latter phases.”
The female journalists of TOLO News also reported on the streets of Kabul. In a tweet, the CEO said, "Our brave female journalists out and about in Kabul."
ButTalibanmayultimately introduce tough broadcast restrictions for journalists,who ask tough questionsfromthe new administration. The entrepreneur said,“They’re going to be in government for a while. What happens if you startcriticising? You can air anything you want as long as it doesn’tcriticisethe government?”