ISLAMABAD: Afghan Taliban authorities have warned residents of District 13 of Mazar-e-Sharif that women and girls could face arrest if they fail to comply with the dress requirements, raising concerns that enforcement measures recently seen in western Herat are expanding to other parts of the country, according to Amu TV.
Officials from the Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice recently met with community representatives in District 13 of Mazar-i-Sharif and said Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice patrols would increase across the city beginning Sunday.
During the meeting, Taliban officials informed residents that women found in public without "appropriate" Islamic dress could be detained.
Similar warnings were distributed through notices posted in shops, bakeries and residential alleys.
Detentions in Herat
The reported measures come days after Taliban authorities detained more than 30 women and girls in Herat over alleged violations of dress regulations, prompting rare public protests and drawing criticism from international rights organizations and United Nations officials.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed concern after at least 30 women were detained in Herat between June 6 and June 7 by officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and Taliban police.
Protests erupted in Herat's Jebrail area on June 9 after the arrests.
UNAMA later said at least one boy was killed by gunfire during the demonstrations and several others were injured.
Human Rights Watch, UN Women, Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, and other UN experts have condemned the arrests and expressed concern about the reported use of force against protesters.
Taliban officials met with community representatives in District 13 of Kabul and said patrols and monitoring of women's attire would intensify in the area this week.
The Taliban have not publicly announced a nationwide campaign targeting women's dress.
However, reports from Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul have fueled concerns among residents and rights advocates that authorities may be broadening enforcement efforts beyond Herat.
The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has become one of the Taliban administration's most influential institutions, overseeing enforcement of many of those restrictions.
Many Afghan women say the latest detentions and warnings further limit their ability to participate in daily life and move freely in public.
Taliban officials have offered differing accounts of the Herat arrests.
While some officials initially denied that women had been detained over dress-code violations, Herat Governor Noor Ahmad Islamjar later acknowledged the arrests and said the women had been detained for failing to comply with hijab requirements.
The Taliban have not publicly responded to reports that similar warnings have been issued in Balkh province and Kabul.
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