The Taliban have intensified pressure on men across several provinces to grow beards and wear traditional caps, according to local sources.
The enforcement, which previously focused on public and private workplaces, has now expanded to include university students, athletes and ordinary citizens.
A student at Paktia University told Amu that Taliban authorities have required students to sign pledges committing to “conform their appearance to Sharia,” including growing beards and wearing caps. The document also mandates regular participation in congregational prayers and warns of “legal action” for noncompliance.
The student said the university administration has also instructed graduates to avoid wearing traditional black graduation caps, instead requiring white or Kandahari-style caps during ceremonies.
Students complained that frequent compulsory gatherings organized by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have disrupted classes. Absentees are marked with unexcused absences and threatened with disciplinary measures, they said.
Local sources in Paktia added that similar pledges have been forced on athletes and other residents, obliging them to maintain long beards and wear caps.
Taliban morality police have also begun targeting barbers, reportedly arresting several in recent weeks for trimming men’s beards and shutting down their shops for days. At least four men were detained in Paktia last week for shaving, according to residents.
Similar reports of growing pressure on personal appearance have emerged from multiple other provinces in recent weeks.
