Following the Taliban government’s shutdown of internet and telecom services, which sparked international condemnation, Afghans have rushed to the streets to celebrate their reinstatement.
While internet watchdog Netblocks reported a “partial restoration” of access, local reporters reported that communications were resuming. According to a government source who spoke to BBC Afghan, the Taliban prime leader ordered the internet to be restored.
Businesses and flights were interrupted, emergency services were not readily available, and there were concerns that the 48-hour blackout would further isolate women and children, whose rights had already been severely undermined since the hardline Islamist group retook power in 2021. Hundreds of Afghans took to the streets of Kabul, the country’s capital, on Wednesday night to announce the return of the internet.
“Everyone is happy, holding their cell phones and talking to their relatives,” one man told BBC Afghan. Once services were restored, everyone was on the phone, including men, women, and Talibs [a Taliban member].” The city is currently packed with people.
A senior Taliban spokesman in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, reported that “all communications” had been restored by Wednesday afternoon. The Taliban government has not officially explained the shutdown.
Also Read:
The Value Gap in Travel Retail is $9 Billion, Even With the Post-Pandemic Recovery
