Afghanistan, March 18 -- Afghanistan marked National Journalists Day on Wednesday as media support groups warned that violations against journalists and news outlets have intensified under Taliban rule. The observance, officially added to the national calendar in March 2019 under the former republic, now falls at a time when reporters say threats, censorship and pressure have reached some of their highest levels in years.
In recent days, after Pakistan's latest airstrikes, the Taliban sharply increased pressure on domestic media in an effort to control coverage of the fallout. That claim fits a broader pattern of tightening restrictions since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, with journalists operating under growing fear of rep...