Taliban Culture Minister Urges Poets to Focus on Regime Achievements and Martyrs

Taliban Culture Minister Shir Ahmad Haqani urged poets to adhere to values desired by the Taliban and avoid writing on every topic. Speaking at the 14th edition of the Arghawan Poetry Recitation in Parwan province, Haqani emphasized that poets must reflect Taliban administration activities.

Atiqullah Azizi, from the Taliban Ministry of Culture, stated that "poets should express the achievements of this regime and the sacrifices of the martyrs in the form of poetry." Haqani's deputy added that poets should write about Taliban combat and suicide forces.

The event took place at Arghandi Hill in Parwan, where the annual Arghawan Flower Festival has been held for over a decade. The Ministry of Information and Culture renamed it the Arghawan Poetry Recitation and published only a photo of the stage, complying with the Amr bil Maruf law's ban on images of living beings.

The guidance aligns with the "Poetry Recitation Regulation Law," signed by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in early Sunbula of last year. The law prohibits romantic poetry, praising the beloved, and criticizing Akhundzada's commands. The Ministry of Information and Culture enforces the regulation.