The terrifying spectre of an internet shutdown in Afghanistan

When I was a child, Afghans had to travel to Pakistan whenever they needed to make a phone call to their relatives outside the country. Today, we face the real possibility that we may also be forced to travel to a neighbouring country just to use the internet.

Last week, fibre-optic internet services were stopped in several provinces, including Kandahar, Helmand and Balkh – a move that may extend to the entire country. Afghanistan may be cut off from the rest of the world if the Taliban leadership does not reconsider its policy.

Soon, you may no longer read my stories and those of millions of Afghans because we may not be able to connect to the internet. A total silence would prevail in the country.

After the shutdown of fibre-optic internet in Balkh province, Haji Zaid, a spokesperson