KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a new decree mandating that all public employees to perform the five daily prayers in congregation.
“Anyone who neglects to attend the group prayer without a valid excuse will be punished,” Akhundzada stated in the decree issued Thursday.
He further directed the Ministry of Invitation and Guidance to enforce these penalties based on Hanafi jurisprudence.
Akhundzada emphasized that all government employees and officials must perform the five daily prayers on time.
The decree has drawn criticism from citizens who argue that the Taliban leadership should prioritize addressing the country’s severe economic hardship and humanitarian crisis.
Critics point out that, amid widespread poverty, unemployment, the ban on girls’ education, and women’s employment, as well as international economic and political sanctions, the Taliban leader continues to focus on peripheral issues.
