Taliban ban foreign TV shows in Afghanistan, arrest 3 journalists for reporting about it

After banning women from appearing in TV shows, the Taliban have now officially barred foreign shows and films from being broadcasted in Afghanistan, Sputnik news agency reported citing a person familiar with the situation.

"The Taliban clearly said to stop showing any foreign TV series translated into Dari or Pashto [official languages of Afghanistan]," a participant of the meeting of Afghan broadcasters, held on Thursday, said, according to the Russian news agency.

According to the reports, the Taliban-appointed Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said they would penalise anyone who violates the order.

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"There is no film industry in Afghanistan, and there are no shows or movies that can replace the foreign ones. This restriction means people have to turn off the TV sets," the Sputnik quoted the source as saying.

Meanwhile, three employees of Afghanistan’s TOLONews were detained for reporting about the country’s new rules banning broadcasts of foreign shows, AP news agency reported.

Three staffers from TOLO TV were taken from the station on Thursday evening, according to Khpalwak Sapai, head of TOLONews department.

Moby Group, the media company that owns TOLO TV, said the detentions were the result of the station reporting “about the banning of the foreign drama series”.

TOLO TV is an Afghan-owned media company with interests in South and Central Asia as well as the Middle East and Africa.

In December, Reporters Without Borders and the Afghan Independent Journalist Association said that 231 out of 543 media outlets had closed, while more than 6,400 journalists lost their jobs after the Taliban takeover.

(With inputs from agencies)