A senior Taliban official has claimed that no actor inside Afghanistan is able to “speak” except the Taliban, asserting that the group now has “complete control” over the country and that the press is the only sphere not yet fully subdued.

Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Taliban’s interior ministry, made the comments on Monday during a virtual meeting with spokespersons for provincial governors and police commanders. He said a global “propaganda war” was underway and described the media as a fundamental pillar of modern societies, arguing that nations advance their wars and interests through information campaigns.

Speaking about the domestic situation, Qani said the Taliban now dominate Afghanistan after decades of instability and exercise absolute control over the entire territory. He said “no actor inside Afghanistan” remained capable of speaking independently.

Qani added that the only sector not yet fully under Taliban control was the press.

Since taking power, the Taliban have shut down independent media outlets and, over the past four years, have detained and imprisoned numerous journalists, cultural figures and civil society activists. The group has imposed extensive restrictions on freedom of expression and banned any form of criticism of its administration.