Mujib Khilwatgar, head of Nai, a prominent organisation supporting free media in Afghanistan, has announced a temporary halt to its activities in the country.

Khilwatgar indicated that he will elaborate on the reasons for this suspension at a later date.

Established in 2005, Nai has been committed to its mission of fostering a free media landscape, as Khilwatgar expressed in a recent video message.

The Taliban spokesperson previously declared that Nai, operating externally, lacks the legitimacy to comment on Afghan media affairs, thereby denying it official recognition.

Khilwatgar voiced his aspiration for Nai's future operations, contingent on positive developments in Afghanistan's political and social environment. He cited the challenging current political climate and unfavourable conditions in Afghanistan as the primary reasons for this pause in operations.

Following this announcement, Khilwatgar emphasised that no individual is authorised to represent Nai in Afghanistan, in either a real or nominal capacity.

In his address, Khilwatgar reflected on the ongoing hardships faced by Afghanistan. Nai, known for its advocacy and extensive reporting in support of journalists, has played a critical role in the Afghan media sector.

Post the Taliban's ascension to power in 2021, a significant number of media outlets ceased operations, and numerous journalists were forced to leave Afghanistan. Over the past two years, Nai has actively responded to instances of journalist detentions by the Taliban through official statements. Despite these challenges, Nai has maintained a non-confrontational stance towards the Taliban, referring to them as 'officials' in its communications.