Afghanistan Restores Connectivity Amidst Taliban's Conservative Clampdown

In a significant development, cell phone and internet services in Afghanistan were restored on Wednesday, 48 hours after an abrupt disconnection reportedly ordered by the Taliban administration. Local residents in Kabul and other major cities confirmed the return of connectivity, which was facilitated by foreign-owned companies Roshan and Etisalat.

According to a Taliban official from the information department, the outage was due to technical issues; however, they did not confirm if it was a direct order from the administration. The disconnection had severe implications, crippling financial transactions, trade, and even halting online education for women and teenage girls, whom the Taliban had previously banned from formal education institutions.

The restoration comes after the United Nations called for reinstatement of services. This incident is part of a broader series of restrictions imposed by the conservative Taliban leadership from Kandahar, as they enforce their stringent ideologies amidst opposition from more open-minded factions within the government in Kabul.

(With inputs from agencies.)