Taliban Shut Down Barya TV As It Was Against Taliban’s Values, Says Hekmatyar’s Son

Habiburrahman Hekmatyar, the son of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Afghanistan's Hezb-e-Islami party, has stated that the Taliban shut down Barya TV, associated with Hekmatyar’s party, because it raised issues and topics that the Taliban do not observe.

He mentioned on X social media platform that Barya TV’s broadcasts were "religious and Islamic," but the Taliban objected to its content.

The Taliban's media violations investigation commission announced on Tuesday that the broadcasts of "Noor" and "Barya" TV channels have been temporarily halted due to their failure to uphold "national and Islamic principles and values”.

Noor TV is owned by Salahuddin Rabbani, leader of the Jamiat-e-Islami Party, and was established in Kabul in 2007.

Barya TV, affiliated with Hezb-e-Islami, commenced broadcasting five years ago in 2019, also in Kabul. This channel typically airs speeches by Hekmatyar and news related to the party.

Recently, critical comments by Hekmatyar regarding the Taliban were broadcasted on Barya TV, drawing attention in media and social networks.

In response to the Taliban's decision on Tuesday, Habiburrahman Hekmatyar expressed his views. He stated that the Taliban objected to the "religious and Islamic" content aired on Barya TV because it espoused values different from those of the Taliban.

He remarked that the Taliban are promoting their own interpretation of religion, which, in his view, is accompanied by "superstitions”. Hekmatyar's son further noted that their [Hezb-e-Islami] interpretation of religion, advocates for "consultation, rights, education, and knowledge”.

He wrote, "Religion regards the ruler as a servant accountable to the people; it dictates that the leader must be visible among the populace, accountable to them, and transparent in managing Bayt al-mal [public wealth], which are to be audited by the people."

Hekmatyar's son says that the Taliban disregard these principles. He said that the party-affiliated television prioritises religious and national values, not those of the Taliban.

Following the Taliban's takeover of power in Afghanistan in 2021, numerous media outlets ceased operations, leading to the unemployment or migration of thousands of journalists.

Nai, an organisation advocating for press freedom in Afghanistan, disclosed last year that after the Taliban's takeover, 52% of the country's visual media outlets stopped operating.

Reports indicate that the Taliban have arrested scores of journalists in the past nearly three years and have severely restricted the media's freedom to operate.