Full Breakdown
Taliban Enforce Smartphone Ban on Government Employees
6/19/2026, 3:53:06 AM
Ban on Smartphones for Government Personnel
On 16 June 2026 the Taliban’s Supreme Court ordered a smartphone ban for all civil servants, military staff and teachers, students and health workers. Exemptions require a written decree from supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada; violators face confiscation, device smashing and legal or Sharia punishment.
Context and Implementation Timeline
Early June Akhundzada gave a verbal directive. The ban first appeared at Herat University on 14 June, then on 16 June military courts began enforcement in Herat, Kandahar, Maidan Wardak, Ghor and Panjshir. A 17 June Supreme Court letter ordered departments to prohibit smartphones; Khost, Paktia, Panjshir schools and Ghor health centers added teachers and staff.
Key Actors
The order comes from supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, circulated by the Supreme Court to military courts. Daikundi communications official Khalid Ahmad Fazli confirmed receipt. Education minister Neda Mohammad Nadim has denounced smartphones. The Afghanistan Journalists Centre (AFJC) and UN envoy Naseer Ahmad Faiq have criticized the ban.
Effects on Governance and Services
Ministries that relied on WhatsApp now use basic calls, disrupting coordination. Schools in Maidan Wardak, Panjshir and Khost lost digital tools; Ghor health centers lack mobile patient records. Each smashed phone costs ~8,000 afghanis, straining budgets.
Official Responses
The Taliban have not issued a statement; the Supreme Court and Ministry of Justice declined comment. UN envoy Naseer Ahmad Faiq told the Security Council the ban deprives Afghans of basic communication tools. AFJC warned it “drastically hinders news gathering and public transparency.”
Criticism & Opposition
AFJC condemned the ban as a violation of the right to seek information, calling it a threat to press freedom. Faiq argued it contradicts scientific progress. Analysts warned enforcement could precede a blanket ban on civilians, women and students.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on scope: some provinces limit the ban to officials, others extend it to women, civilians, teachers and health workers. The Supreme Court has not explained the rationale, and no Taliban spokesperson has responded.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We have received the order and are in the process of implementing it,” — Khalid Ahmad Fazli, Communications Official, Daikundi Province
- “If anyone uses one, their mobile phone will be smashed and legal and sharia punishment will be imposed on the violator.” — Text of the Taliban smartphone ban
- “Such measures violate the fundamental rights of citizens to seek and receive information—rights protected under international standards and essential for a functioning democracy,” — Afghanistan Journalists Centre (AFJC)
- “Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s acting permanent representative to the United Nations, criticized the move, stating: “While the world is improving people’s lives and creating new opportunities for progress and prosperity through science, technology, and artificial intelligence, the Taliban are depriving the people of Afghanistan of the most basic tools of communication and access to information.” — Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Acting Permanent Representative to the UN
