Taliban Shut Internet in Parts of Kabul Amid Fears of Protests in Afghanistan Capital: Report

Kabul: The Taliban have shut down the internet in parts of the Afghanistan capital Kabul as heavy protests mar the city, reported India Today. As per the report, the blockade was ordered by Taliban in

Written by: India.com News Desk Edited by: Shubhangi Gupta

Published: September 9, 2021, 1:28 PM IST

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A mobile hawker carries Taliban flags as commuters make their way along a road in Kabul on September 5, 2021. (AFP Photo)

Kabul: The Taliban have shut down the internet in parts of the Afghanistan capital Kabul as heavy protests mar the city, reported India Today. As per the report, the blockade was ordered by Taliban intelligence as they feared circulation of messages through social media which may lead to mobilisation of crowds in the area.

“Internet is down in most parts of the capital Kabul. Following the recent protests against Taliban, the group has decided to cut the internet connections. Reports say, Taliban intelligence orders the blockage- they afraid the messages circulation through social media,” former BBC journalist Kabir Haqmal tweeted.

Internet is down in most parts of the capital #Kabul. Following the recent protests against #Taliban, the group has decided to cut the internet connections. Reports say, Taliban intelligence orders the blockage- they afraid the messages circulation through social media. pic.twitter.com/14a4kpiGaS

— Kabir Haqmal (@Haqmal) September 9, 2021

Anti-Pakistan Rally in Kabul

Hundreds of Afghan protesters, including women wearing the hijab, took to the streets of Kabul on Tuesday chanting “death to Pakistan” and denouncing Islamabad’s interference as well as airstrikes by its jets in Panjshir province in support of the Taliban.

In the largest demonstration the Afghan capital has seen since the Taliban seized power last month, activists shouted in support of resistance fighters in the holdout province of Panjshir and chanted against Pakistan, which they view as meddling in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

Here are some pictures of what we saw at today's women's rally in #Kabul:

-Taliban saying 'do not pass'
-an energetic march through Dashti-E-Barchi.
-protesters getting emotional upon reflection.
-men gawking#Afghanistan #Afghanwomen https://t.co/KSkMjJJMUJ pic.twitter.com/877sRlEBK9

— Marcus Yam 文火 (@yamphoto) September 8, 2021

The protests in Kabul also saw people chanting slogans in favour of the leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF), Ahmad Masoud, who has been leading opposition to the Taliban from the province of Panjshir.

What’s happening in Afghanistan?

The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan on August 16, 2021, after taking over Kabul in a lightning blitz following the collapse of the western-led Afghanistan govermment.

The terror group on Tuesday unveiled a hardline interim government led by Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, with key roles being shared by high-profile members of the Taliban, including a specially designated global terrorist of the dreaded Haqqani Network as the interior minister.

Mullah Hasan, the chief of the Taliban’s powerful decision-making body ‘Rehbari Shura’, will be the Acting Prime Minister while Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will be his deputy in the “new Islamic government”, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said at a news conference in Kabul.

Meanwhile, in response to the new cabinet announced by the Taliban for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the resistance front in Panjshir province led by Ahmad Massoud has said that they will declare a parallel government in the country after consultations.

(With agency inputs)