Taliban Orders Confiscation of Employees’ Smartphones in Khost Province
Administrative sources in Khost province report that the Taliban administration has instructed all government departments to collect and confiscate the smartphones of their employees. This directive comes with threats of immediate dismissal and referral to military courts for non-compliance. According to the order, any employee who refuses to surrender their phone or whose name is not registered on the list will face serious administrative consequences.
Local sources say the process of collecting phones has officially begun among government staff, with departments required to complete special forms documenting employee details. Additionally, officials in each department have been asked to submit daily progress reports on the collection process.
According to the information received, 90 smartphones were confiscated from employees of Khost’s Agriculture Directorate in a single day. Sources add that monitoring the full implementation of this directive has been assigned to local Taliban authorities.
This action reportedly follows a decree attributed to Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, banning the use of smartphones among members and government employees. Previously leaked internal documents indicated that violators would be referred to military courts.
In recent months, audio recordings allegedly featuring Taliban security officials have circulated, urging members to break their smartphones before handing them in. Concurrently, videos have appeared on social media showing Taliban members breaking their phones on camera.
Analysts say such restrictions have heightened concerns about increased control over communications and reduced access to information tools among employees. This development could impact administrative transparency and free access to information in Afghanistan’s current context.
