ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban government on Wednesday rejected reports of a nationwide internet ban in Afghanistan, saying old fiber optic cables are worn out and are being replaced.
The announcement was the Taliban’s first public statement on a communications blackout that has disrupted banking, commerce and aviation.
Several provinces last month confirmed an internet shutdown because of a decree from the Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada to combat immorality.
“There is nothing like the rumors being spread that we have imposed a ban on the internet,” Taliban officials said in a three-line statement shared in a WhatsApp chat group with Pakistani journalists.
The statement, also posted on social media platform X, cited Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying ongoing nationwide disruptions were the result of “decaying fiber optic infrastructure” that is now being replaced. The statement did not say when or if services would be restored.
For Maruf Nabizada, the internet is a vital link to Afghanistan. He fled the country in 2022 with his family and settled in the Netherlands. He and his wife use WhatsApp to stay in touch with their relatives.
They have called every hour for the past three days, but their relatives in western Herat province remain offline.
“When you cannot hear from your loved ones all the time, you get worried if they are fine, if something has happened to them,” Nabizada told The Associated Press. “Just last night my wife cried because she was not able to talk to her mother and sister. We are not sure what is happening there.”
He feared a lengthy shutdown that could last weeks or even months.
“It will be really hard because we are not able to go back, but at least the internet was the only assurance for us, that we could talk to our families through voice call or video call, but now even that window is closed.”
The outage was first reported Monday by internet advocacy group Netblocks, which said internet connectivity was collapsing across the country, including in the capital Kabul, and telephone services also were impacted.
Afghan carrier Kam Air told local TV channel TOLO News it would likely resume flights to Kabul later Wednesday, after fully halting operations since Monday due to the outage.
Aid officials have warned that humanitarian organizations face major challenges because of the blackout, urging authorities to restore connections.
“Reliable communications are essential for our ability to operate, to deliver life-saving assistance, and to coordinate with partners,” Save the Children said in a statement Wednesday.
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Associated Press writer Ahmad Seir contributed to this report from Utrecht, Netherlands.
