Afghanistan government bans Whatsapp and Telegram

The Afghanistan government has asked several private telecommunication companies to suspend WhatsApp and Telegram instant messaging services in the country.

Customers of Salaam Telecom, a government-owned service provider, reported that both apps had stopped working for them, but the private telecom operators didn't stopped the app on Friday.

“It is wrong and illegal,” Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar, executive director of Nai, a group that campaigns for free speech.

“According to the Constitution, freedom of expression is inviolable in Afghanistan. WhatsApp and Telegram are tools of free speech -- if the government bans them, it means that tomorrow they could stand against media in Afghanistan too,” he added.

Although the reason for the ban could not be known, the telcom regulatory authority said that it was due to security concerns.

An official from the ministry of communications and information technology said the request on the 20-day ban had come from the National Directorate of Security, the country’s intelligence agency.