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Afghan govt staff abandon smartphones <p>KABUL: Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order imposed on Wednesday that came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.</p> <p>A letter announcing the ban on smartphones for all government employees started circulating on social media last week under the emblem of the Supreme Court, which has not responded to requests to comment.</p> <p>“All the heads of departments in their respective provinces are advised to inform their staff, higher-ranking or lower-ranking, that using smartphones is strictly banned effective 17 June,” said the letter.</p> <p>It referred to all employees of the military and civilian departments, mentioning that exemptions could only be granted by the supreme leader. As of Wednesday afternoon, multiple central government departments were still publishing information through their WhatsApp groups.</p> <p>Two spokesmen for the Afghan government did not respond to requests to comment on the decision. In Ghazni province, located between the capital Kabul and the seat of the supreme leader, Kandahar, government employees started signing off fro…

Afghan government workers face sack, jail after smartphone ban begins Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order imposed on Wednesday that they said came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. A letter announcing the ban on smartphones for all government employees started circulating on social media last week under the emblem of the Supreme Court, which has not responded to requests to comment. “All the heads of departments in their respective provinces are advised to inform their...

Afghanistan Issues Ban on Smartphones for Civil Servants and Military A Taliban security officer using a mobile phone in Kandahar, Afghanistan, last year. Civil servants and members of the country’s armed forces have been told not to bring smartphones to work.

Taliban order ban on smartphones as officials shown destroying devices <p>Directive aimed at government workers, but reports of wider implementation spark warnings of future Afghanistan-wide prohibition</p><p>The Taliban have ordered a sweeping ban on the use of smartphones by government officials – in what some analysts say could foreshadow broader, population-level restrictions.</p><p>In a directive issued by the Taliban’s military courts and reviewed by the Guardian, the ban was to take effect this week and prohibits “high rank, low rank, general mujahideen, or service staff” from using mobile phones.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jun/18/taliban-ban-smartphones-officials-shown-destroying-devices">Continue reading...</a>

'Heartbreaking': Afghan govt staff abandon smartphones Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order imposed Wednesday that they told AFP came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. A letter announcing the ban on smartphones for all government employees started circulating on social media last week under the emblem of the Supreme Court, which has not responded to AFP's requests to comment. "All the heads of departments in their respective provinces are advised to inform their staff, higher-ranking or lower-ranking, that using smartphones is strictly banned effective 17 June," said the letter. It referred to all employees of the military and civilian departments, mentioning that exemptions could only be granted by the supreme leader. As of Wednesday afternoon, multiple central government departments were still publishing information through their WhatsApp groups. Two spokesmen for the Afghan government did not respond to AFP's requests to comment on the decision. In Ghazni province, located between the capital Kabul and the seat of the supreme leader, Kandahar, government employees started signing off…

Afghan govt employees switch off smartphones - Pakistan Today Government employees in parts of Afghanistan have started switching off smartphones after a reported ban attributed to the supreme leader. The order, circulated in a letter under the Supreme Court emblem, applies to civilian and military staff. News Desk June 18, 2026 KABUL: Government employees in several parts of Afghanistan have begun turning off their smartphones after an order they told AFP was issued on Wednesday and came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. A letter announcing a ban on smartphones for all government staff started circulating on social media last week under the emblem of the Supreme Court. According to the letter, all heads of departments in their provinces were instructed to notify staff at every level that smartphone use was strictly prohibited from 17 June. The order covered both military and civilian departments and said any exemption could only be granted by the supreme leader. The Supreme Court did not respond to AFP requests for comment on the letter. Two government spokesmen also did not answer requests for comment on the reported decision. By Wednesday afternoon, several centra…

'Heartbreaking': Afghan govt staff abandon smartphones - RFI 'Heartbreaking': Afghan govt staff abandon smartphones Kabul (AFP) – Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order imposed Wednesday that they told AFP came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Issued on: 17/06/2026 - 14:50 2 min Reading time How widely the rule on smartphones was implemented in Afghanistan and the scale of its impact were not entirely clear © / AFP/File Advertising Read more A letter announcing the ban on smartphones for all government employees started circulating on social media last week under the emblem of the Supreme Court, which has not responded to AFP's requests to comment. "All the heads of departments in their respective provinces are advised to inform their staff, higher-ranking or lower-ranking, that using smartphones is strictly banned effective 17 June," said the letter. It referred to all employees of the military and civilian departments, mentioning that exemptions could only be granted by the supreme leader. As of Wednesday afternoon, multiple central government departments were still publishing inform…

'Heartbreaking': Afghan govt staff abandon smartphones | The Star KABUL: Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order imposed Wednesday (June 17) that they told AFP came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. A letter announcing the ban on smartphones for all government employees started circulating on social media last week under the emblem of the Supreme Court, which has not responded to AFP's requests to comment. "All the heads of departments in their respective provinces are advised to inform their staff, higher-ranking or lower-ranking, that using smartphones is strictly banned effective 17 June," said the letter. It referred to all employees of the military and civilian departments, mentioning that exemptions could only be granted by the supreme leader. As of Wednesday afternoon, multiple central government departments were still publishing information through their WhatsApp groups. Two spokesmen for the Afghan government did not respond to AFP's requests to comment on the decision. In Ghazni province, located between the capital Kabul and the seat of the supreme leader, Kandahar, government employe…