Local sources in Takhar said that Taliban officials, during a meeting with journalists and local media officials, issued an order to completely ban photography and video reporting in the province.

They emphasised that visual media should be converted into radio stations.
This action is taking place within the framework of the implementation of the Taliban's new law for the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice, which has been implemented recently. According to this law, photography and filming of living creatures is forbidden.

The meeting was held on Sunday, October 13, in the presence of intelligence and morality officials at the office of the Taliban's director of information and culture in Takhar, sources said.

According to sources, some representatives of the visual media said in response to the order that they needed to produce and broadcast their programmes in visual form, but the Taliban insisted on converting television content to radio or stopping their activities altogether.

Barkatullah Barakat, press affairs manager at the Taliban's intelligence department, warned at the meeting that anyone who disobeyed the order would be dealt with. He emphasised that they will use all means to implement the decree of the Taliban leader.

Also, the Taliban has announced that they will soon publish advertisements in the city of Taloqan and Takhar districts, and people are asked not to use smartphones.
The Taliban has warned that violators will be dealt with harshly.

About two weeks ago, the Taliban also informed journalists and visual media personnel in Takhar that filming and photography were no longer allowed.

The Taliban has previously stopped the broadcast of some local television stations, including in Kandahar, and required media outlets to broadcast audio instead of images. Earlier, women's voices were stopped in Kandahar and some southern provinces.