In Afghanistan, the Taliban have enforced a new dress code for government employees. As per the new guidelines, male government workers cannot come to office without a beard.
Additionally, they have been told not to wear western suits. Instead, they have to wear traditional long tops and trousers along with a hat or turban to cover their headsThe Independent reported.
They have also been told to pray at the correct times, which means doing so six times between dawn and dusk as per Islamic law.
In case of violations of the code, workers would not be allowed to enter their offices and could eventually be fired, the Taliban said.
Earlier this week, officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were seen inspecting men as they entered government offices. The new guidelines came into effect on Tuesday.
BACK TO REGRESSIVE WAYS
In the last ten days, the Taliban have proven that they have no intention of being more progressive, as they had promised, when compared with their previous regime in the 1990s.
Only last week, the Taliban disallowed girls from attending high school, just as classes were to resume after nine months. Additionally, women have been banned from travelling alone on planes without a male, preferably a family member.
Further, the Taliban said the use of parks would be segregated based on sex, basically banning couples and families from visiting them together.
The Taliban have also banned foreign drama shows and international media broadcasts.
PREVIOUS REGIME
In their previous regime from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban had banned women from leaving their homes without a male family member. The organisation had also asked all men to grow beards.
The Taliban toppled the Ashraf Ghani regime and took control of Afghanistan last August.