Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, has confirmed the detention of several women accused of promoting "improper hijab," as reported by the group’s Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
According to Mujahid, these women were allegedly influenced by external entities to challenge the Taliban's dress code standards in urban areas.
In an interview with TOLOnews, Mujahid stated that the detained women were taken to a nearby location for a few hours, where they were counselled in the presence of their family members before being released.
Mujahid criticised unnamed organisations for reacting to issues based on social media reports without proper verification, calling such responses misguided. He did not specify the number of women recently arrested.
This development follows a series of arrests by the Taliban’s Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, particularly targeting young women and girls in various Kabul neighbourhoods, including Dashte Barchi, Taimani, and Khairkhana.
In a meeting with Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, leader of Pakistan's Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Abdul Kabir, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, reassured that Afghanistan, under the group’s control, poses no threat to Pakistan.
He called for discussions based on facts rather than claims and media narratives between the two countries.
Kabir also aimed to deliver the Taliban's firm message to Islamabad about their commitment of not allowing Afghan soil to be used against other nations, particularly Pakistan.
With the increase in instability in Pakistan, the country has repeatedly accused the Taliban of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban and facilitating attacks against Pakistan from Afghan soil.
Taliban has repeatedly denied these allegations.
The Pakistani government disclosed details about suicide bombers within its borders, indicating that their attacks were planned in Afghanistan.
In response, the Taliban have suggested that Pakistan should address its issues with these militants to avert attacks by the Pakistani Taliban. However, Islamabad has dismissed the Pakistani Taliban's demands as unreasonable.
Islamabad's pressure on the Taliban, especially the deportation of about half a million immigrants, caused the Taliban to invite Fazal-ur-Rehman to visit Kabul. However, it is not clear what message the Taliban is sending to Pakistan through this religious figure who has close relations with the army and intelligence of the country.
According to the Taliban, Fazal-ur-Rehman condemned the deportation of Afghan immigrants in this meeting and emphasised on solving the problems with the Pakistani government through dialogue.
Taliban’s deputy prime minister also urged Pakistan to stop inappropriate behaviour with Afghan immigrants.
On Sunday, the Taliban's Supreme Court announced the public flogging of four individuals, each sentenced to 39 lashes for “sodomy” in Kandahar province.
Additionally, they received 18-month prison terms.
This statement, shared on the Taliban's user account on X social media platform, stated that the flogging occurred in the court in Kandahar, in front of the people.
The Supreme Court of Taliban has not announced the identity of these individuals.
In July, the Taliban publicly flogged two individuals at Laghman's Eid Gah mosque for having “illicit relationships”.
Human rights organisations and the international community have repeatedly urged the Taliban to cease punishments such as flogging, hand amputation, and execution.
Nonetheless, the Taliban maintains that they are implementing Islamic Sharia law and insist that other countries and international organisations should not interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs.
Earlier, Afghan Witness, a human rights group, reported that the Taliban had issued and executed orders for the flogging of over 400 individuals within a year.
Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met the Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban, Abdul Kabir, on Sunday.
As per the Taliban's statement, Qomi conveyed Iran's stance and assured the group’s official that Iran does not back the opponents of the Taliban and is actively working towards integrating Afghanistan into the regional framework.
He emphasised that efforts aimed at creating discord between Iran and Afghanistan will not succeed.
Even though Iran does not recognise the government of the Taliban and insists on the establishment of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, the country has expanded its political and economic relations with the Taliban over the last two years.
Iran is one of the first countries that handed over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban following the took over of power by the group.
During the meeting with Qomi, Kabir considered the policy of the Taliban as “positive role for the security and stability of the region" and said that "there is no danger to anyone from Afghanistan, including Iran”.
This Taliban official pointed out that Afghanistan poses no threat to Iran, which is in contrast to the US intelligence claims of ISIS’s Afghanistan branch being involved in recent suicide attacks in Kerman, Iran.
The Taliban-controlled Al-Mirsaad website refuted the US claims, highlighting their efforts in suppressing ISIS in Afghanistan. The website stated that ISIS leaders are located in various regional countries.
Meanwhile, in this meeting, Qomi also mentioned Iran's efforts for regional joint transit and said that by using these opportunities, Afghan goods will reach Turkey and the markets of European countries directly.
The Iranian official, in the meeting, discussed the willingness of Iranian investors to collaborate in the agricultural sector with their Afghan counterparts.
Abdul Kabir, on his part, spoke about the Taliban's focus on an "economy-oriented" policy, expressing a desire for Afghanistan to become a pivotal hub for economic stability and regional development.
Recently leaked audio files on WhatsApp groups of educational centres reveal the deployment of "spies" in schools to monitor the attire of female students by the Taliban's Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
In these files, female students have been warned that they will be arrested if they do not follow the Taliban’s instructions regarding women's clothing.
The Taliban's Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice reportedly employs female staff to daily inspect courses in Kabul and transfer individuals not wearing Taliban’s required hijab to the relevant security organs.
In an audio file, an official from a private education centre in Kabul has revealed that the Taliban ministry has mandated that women and girls should not wear clothing that is above the knee.
In another audio file, seemingly from a Taliban official, all school principals have been instructed to ensure that their students "adhere to Sharia clothing both inside and outside the school”.
The audio file states that an operation has commenced in Kabul city, detaining women not observing Taliban’s hijab mandate. It issues a warning for everyone to adhere to the hijab in order to avoid arrest or closure of educational centres.
Recently, Taliban's Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice confirmed to the media that several women were detained in Kabul for not observing Taliban’s hijab mandate. However, the ministry did not provide the exact number of detainees.
Earlier, sources had informed Afghanistan International that Taliban ombudsmen had "beaten up” and detained numerous girls in western Kabul for not adhering to the required hijab imposed by the group.
As per the sources, the Taliban have transferred these girls to an unknown location.
Following the suicide of a female protester in Kunduz, a human rights organisation, Freedom Now, has said that protesting women face violence and abuse from the Taliban for demanding their rights.
This organisation has emphasised on the protection of the lives of civil activists.
“We are deeply saddened by reports from Afghanistan that an activist has committed suicide following her release from Taliban’s prison,” stated Freedom Now.
Afghanistan Women's Solidarity Movement confirmed that a member of this protest group committed suicide in Kunduz province.
Officials from this women's rights activist group said that Bibi Gul, a 21-year-old, was detained at the onset of the Taliban regime. Following her release from prison, she struggled with persistent thoughts of suicide.
They said that Bibi Gul, who had thrown herself into a well in Kunduz province on December 23, died at a hospital in this province on December 31.
Zahra Haqparast, the head of the Afghanistan Women's Solidarity Movement, confirmed her suicide to Afghanistan International.
The Afghanistan Women's Solidarity Movement members stated that the 21-year-old girl, who participated in anti-Taliban protests using the alias “Zahra Mohammadi”, was arrested by the Taliban alongside another group of women's rights activists in Kunduz province in September 2021.
Sara Hamdam (alias), a member of the movement closely associated with Bibi Gul, revealed that following her release from a Taliban prison, Bibi Gul consistently expressed thoughts of suicide whenever confronted with the group's restrictions.
Hamdam mentioned that Bibi Gul had completed high school in Kunduz before the Taliban came to power. However, following the group's closure of universities to girls, she was unable to take the entrance examination and pursue higher education.
Bibi Gul's family and Taliban officials in Kunduz have not commented on this matter.