Taliban morality enforcers in Kabul barred a group of employees from Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the state-run electricity company, from entering their offices on Thursday, Sept. 11, because they were not wearing the required headwear or had trimmed beards, according to local sources.
Taliban agents from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice also confiscated about 250 employee ID cards, which have not yet been returned, the sources said.
The restrictions come as part of a broader Taliban campaign to enforce strict rules on appearance and dress in schools, universities and public institutions. University students have been ordered to wear traditional clothing, including caps and long tunics, and to keep beards unshaven. Professors have also reported facing pressure and reprimands from Taliban monitors.
Taliban officials have not publicly commented on the incident at the power company.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping social restrictions, initially targeting women and girls but increasingly extending similar rules to men. Rights groups say such policies reflect the group’s efforts to enforce conformity with its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
