Faiq: Taliban Are Building Higher Walls of Censorship Instead of Progress.
Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s Chargé d’Affaires to the United Nations, has criticized the Taliban’s reported ban on the use of smartphones, saying that while the world is advancing through science, technology, and artificial intelligence, the Taliban are depriving the Afghan people of the most basic tools for communication and access to information.
Speaking on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 , Faiq stated that no government has ever endured through censorship, repression, concealing the truth, and denying citizens their fundamental rights and freedoms.
He described the new restrictions as part of the Taliban’s broader policy of controlling society and limiting public awareness.
According to Faiq, the Taliban have not only restricted access to information but have also deprived half of Afghanistan’s population of the right to education, higher learning, and employment. He added that the group has limited or banned the teaching of modern sciences and contemporary skills in schools and educational institutions, calling these policies a widespread violation of the fundamental and human rights of the Afghan people.
