Women do not have permission in schools and are not permitted to leave the house by themselves, while a beard is mandatory for men are some diktats issued by Taliban.
After capturing a district in the distant North, the Taliban issued diktats putting curbs on the freedom of the ordinary Afghans. They issued circulars to the local imams, asking particular rules to be observed by the Afghans.
The rules are the same through which they governed Afghanistan from 1998 to 2001.
Women should not go out without the company of a male from the family and cannot have schooling. Men have to keep their beards and should not wear green or red clothes.
Taliban have banned music, alcohol, and smoking completely.
Taliban enforces a strict version of Sharia, Islamic law. Any deviation is considered a crime and is punished harshly. Homosexual men are gunned down and, adultery-committing women are stoned to death.
Taliban received criticism for these barbaric practices when they ruled Afghanistan. This time, they were projecting an image that they would not be harsh in enforcing Islamic laws.
But, the reality is the same as in 1998-2001.
According to the AFP, the Taliban's Cultural Commission issued an order directing "all imams and mullahs in the controlled region to give the Taliban a list of women over 15 and widows under 45 to be married to Taliban fighters."
The US has announced the complete withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan by the end of August this year.
The Taliban, aided by Pakistan and other powers, is making a rapid advance. They claim to have captured over 85 percent of the territory of Afghanistan.
First Vice-President of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh, tweeted on Thursday (July 15), “Breaking: Pakistan air force has issued an official warning to the Afghan Army and Air Force that any move to dislodge the Taliban from Spin Boldak area will be faced and repelled by the Pakistan Air Force. Pak air force is now providing close air support to Taliban in certain areas.”
The top political leadership of Afghanistan is meeting today (July 16) in Tashkent with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and other political leaders for negotiations to stop the march of the Taliban.
