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IEA confirms 280 radio stations currently on-air in the country
Acknowledging World Radio Day on Tuesday, February 13, the Ministry of Information and Culture said the Islamic Emirate is committed to supporting the media and confirmed that 280 radio stations are currently on air across Afghanistan.
Deputy minister Mahajer Farahi said: “Currently, there are about 280 radio stations in our country, including Kabul, in all the provinces and districts of the country.”
After print media, radio was the second media type in Afghanistan.
The first radio station in Afghanistan began broadcasting in 1927 in Kabul and over the years, before the arrival of TV, radio was the main source of information in the country.
One popular radio service in Afghanistan is Ariana FM, which was launched in 2005.
Nabila Mohammadi, an employee of Ariana FM, said: “Regarding the fact that there is no television or electricity in some houses, our radio listeners can listen to the radio even on their telephones and in their cars.”
Ali Heidari, another Ariana FM employee, said: “After the developments in the country [in 2021], a number of private and government radios started operating again, and the radios found a very good position.”
The office of the deputy head of the UN in Kabul also acknowledged World Radio Day and said it is difficult to imagine a world without radio. The office said the organization supports freedom of expression in Afghanistan.
Last year, 24 new radio stations were established in the country and 19 others, who had suspended broadcasts, restarted.
Hojatullah Mujadadi, the head of the Free Journalist Association of Afghanistan, said: “We are celebrating World Radio Day while there are 358 media outlets in Afghanistan … of which around 1,800 male and 270 female employees are engaged in sharing media information to the Afghan people.”
Abdul Qadim Weyar, the head of the Committee for the Immunity of Journalists, said: “There are currently between 250 to 300 radio stations in Afghanistan.”
However, not having timely access to information is the biggest problem for journalists, and many media outlets also face financial difficulties.
The first radio station in Afghanistan named Radio Kabul was established in 1925 and its first program was broadcast in 1927. Radio Kabul is still broadcasting.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday sharply criticized the military withdrawal from Afghanistan carried out under the Joe Biden administration, saying it “looked like running.”
Speaking to active-duty soldiers at Fort Bragg Army Base in North Carolina, Trump said the withdrawal left behind U.S. military equipment and tarnished America’s image.
“We wouldn’t have left anything. We would have left with dignity, strength and respect. We looked like we were running. We don’t run from anybody,” Trump said. “That was a Biden embarrassment. What a terrible president.”
Trump’s remarks reiterate his ongoing criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of Afghanistan, particularly the chaotic final days of the U.S. military presence.
Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to U.S. President Donald Trump, reaffirmed on X that the Trump administration is actively pressing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to release American detainees.
“President Trump has made it clear that the Taliban (IEA) must cease their hostage-taking, or there will be consequences,” Gorka said. “We will not rest until Dennis Coyle and Mahmood Habibi come home.”
The IEA has denied detaining Habibi, who formerly served as head of Afghanistan’s civil aviation authority.
Over the past year, five American detainees have been released from Afghanistan. According to the New York Times, the IEA has demanded the release of the last Afghan prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay in exchange for freeing two American detainees in Afghanistan.
Former Pakistani diplomats, speaking at a roundtable discussion in Islamabad, underscored the importance of sustained dialogue with Afghanistan to address bilateral differences.
The discussion, organized on Friday by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, highlighted that the current situation in Afghanistan has direct consequences for regional security and stability. Participants stressed that constructive engagement and regular communication are the only viable pathways to resolving existing challenges.
The former diplomats pointed out that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are deeply interconnected, and any strain between the two sides inevitably impacts the wider region.
They further emphasized that building trust, enhancing practical cooperation, and fostering mutual understanding are essential prerequisites for achieving lasting regional stability.
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