Afghan media reported on Wednesday, citing sources in Kandahar, that the decision by Afghanistan’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada to ban fiber optic and Wi-Fi internet nationwide is final and irreversible. The media indicated that negotiations between the government delegation from Kabul, which came to meet Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader in Kandahar, ended without result, noting that the leader refused to discuss reconsidering the decision to cut off the internet.
Sources added: “Akhundzada ordered the establishment of a new company to provide internet service exclusively to government entities and diplomatic missions. The highest authority in the country may authorize the state-owned company ‘Salam’, the internet provider, to offer limited and simplified services.”
Meanwhile, the head of a private internet company stated that only a small number of WhatsApp accounts, with special permissions granted, will be allowed to connect to the network under strict surveillance. During a meeting at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, officials stated that “mobile data speeds will be reduced to 2G.”
The internet ban imposed by Akhundzada affected several sectors early on. Banking services in Mazar-i-Sharif, the largest city in northern Afghanistan, began experiencing prolonged outages, prompting Balkh Governor Yusuf Wafa to issue exemptions from the comprehensive internet ban for banks, the passport office, and several other institutions. Service in the city was restored by noon on Wednesday.
In recent days, a government delegation led by the Minister of Economy, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and other entities, traveled to warn Akhundzada of the risks associated with his unilateral decision. The delegation, including Minister of Mines Hidayatullah Badri and Deputy Minister of Interior Ibrahim Sadr, attempted to explain to Akhundzada that government agencies rely on online systems and that shutting down high-speed internet would cripple their work.
