Taliban have ordered residents of Mazar-e-Sharif in the northern province of Balkh to install surveillance cameras outside their homes, according to local sources.
The directive, issued by local Taliban officials, requires homeowners to purchase and install closed-circuit cameras at their own expense. Residents said the cost — between 5,000 and 10,000 afghanis, or roughly $70 to $140 — is out of reach for many households amid widespread poverty and unemployment.
Several residents told Amu TV they had been warned that failure to comply could result in their electricity being cut off or other penalties.
“The economic pressure is already unbearable,” one resident said. “Now we’re expected to pay for surveillance equipment we can’t afford.”
The Taliban have not publicly commented on the reported order.
Since reclaiming power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed increasingly restrictive measures aimed at consolidating control in urban areas, often without public consultation. Rights groups have raised concerns about growing surveillance and a lack of legal protections for civilians.
