Taliban collected and burned dozens of musical instruments in the eastern province of Nangarhar, saying the move was aimed at enforcing Islamic principles and reforming society.
The Taliban governor’s office in Nangarhar province said in a statement that their enforcers from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice seized 86 musical instruments in the ninth district of Jalalabad city and burned them in the presence of a joint committee.
The statement said the action was taken to prevent what the Taliban described as immoral practices and to implement Islamic law, adding that similar measures would continue.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on music, banning it from public events, weddings, radio and television broadcasts, and many public spaces. Musical instruments have been confiscated and destroyed in several provinces.
Human rights groups and cultural activists have criticised the bans, saying they have erased key elements of Afghanistan’s cultural life and further restricted artistic expression under Taliban rule.
