A spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Communications has announced that callers in Afghanistan will now hear a decree by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada regarding forced marriage while waiting for phone calls to connect.
Enayatullah Alokozai, spokesperson for the ministry, said on Friday that the measure was introduced under instructions from the ministry’s leadership and would continue in the future.
According to him, the decree related to forced marriage will now be played by telecommunications networks instead of ordinary waiting tones or music-like sounds previously heard during calls.
Alokozai said the purpose of the initiative is to “raise awareness about women’s rights.”
The move comes after Taliban authorities had already restricted music and other forms of entertainment in public spaces.
At the same time, multiple reports have documented increasing cases of forced and underage marriages since the Taliban returned to power.
Earlier reports also alleged pressure on women to enter marriages supported by individuals linked to the Taliban.
Experts say growing poverty, restrictions on girls’ education, and the absence of effective legal protections are among the main drivers behind the rise in forced and child marriages in Afghanistan.
Analysts also argue that the use of telecommunications networks for official ideological messaging reflects an effort by the Taliban to expand political and religious influence into the daily lives of citizens.
According to observers, transforming routine communication services into channels for state messaging demonstrates how governance under the Taliban increasingly extends beyond public institutions into personal and social spaces.
