Armed Taliban fighters surrounded the host of a political debate show in Afghanistan as he told viewers not to be afraid.
The TV anchor of Peace Studio’s Pardaz addressed his audience while two men holding assault rifles stood behind him.
He delivered a statement from the Taliban during the programme, originally broadcast on Sunday after the last British troops left Kabul.
The gunmen were part of a group of at least eight militants who reportedly stormed the TV studio ordering the presenter to praise the Taliban.
The 41-second clip, now viewed more than one million times, shows how quickly Afghanistan has changed since Kabul fell.
BBC correspondent Yalda Hakim shared the excerpt on Twitter, describing it as surreal.
Translating the clip, she explained how the host discussed the collapse of the government and said “the Afghan people should not to be afraid.”
Afghanistan TV - surreal
— Yalda Hakim (@BBCYaldaHakim) August 29, 2021
This is what a political debate now looks like on Afghan TV, Taliban foot soldiers watching over the host. The presenter talks about the collapse of the Ghani govt & says the Islamic Emirate says the Afghan people should not to be afraid #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/oEverVgLOE
She continued: “This is what a political debate now looks like on Afghan TV, Taliban foot soldiers watching over the host.”
Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad commented on the video and its “visibly petrified TV host.”
“Taliban itself is synonymous with fear in the minds of millions. This is just another proof,” she tweeted.
Others speculated that the clip was staged or even “a piece of satire by the TV channel.”
One Twitter user said: “This is unacceptable. Taliban don’t do interviews. This is a staged interview.
“If you want asylum in a foreign country then there are many other ways. Ordinary Taliban don’t give interviews. This is an attempt to present the wrong picture.”
Television was banned and news was censored under the Taliban regime from 1996 to 2001.
Meanwhile, journalists in Afghanistan have said they are living in fear with many attempting to flee the country.
Taliban fighters shot dead a journalist’s relative and severely injured another following door-to-door searches in mid-August.
