Taliban leader bans smartphones for members, state personnel

KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a verbal order banning members of the movement and personnel serving in various state institutions from using smartphones, according to guidance sent to military courts in eight regions of the country. The order was adopted during a meeting Akhundzada held with military court chiefs, police commanders and intelligence unit directors, and it instructs that violators will be deemed "culprits" and referred immediately to the relevant military court. The directive was distributed by the Taliban's "Decree and Order Monitoring Unit," which is responsible for tracking compliance. It requires the presidents of military courts in the affected regions to oversee implementation directly and submit regular reports to the leader's office. The monitoring unit also sent the courts a standardized form for recording the measures taken and transmitting them to the central authority. Images circulating on social media after the order was issued showed a Taliban member destroying his own phone in order to comply with the new rule. The police commander of the Barmal district on the Pakistani border and 14 officers under his command were also reported to have destroyed their phones. The Taliban previously imposed similar bans in certain areas, including Panjshir, though the new directive is described as broader and stricter in scope. No further details were immediately available on how the order will be enforced across the affected regions.