KABUL: The Taliban’s morality police have intensified enforcement of women’s dress regulations in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, with more than 10 women reportedly detained over the past week for allegedly violating the group’s mandatory hijab and dress code.
Local residents said most of the arrests took place around the women’s market in Karte Lagan, an area of Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand.
According to media reports, the crackdown has created fear among women and significantly disrupted business activity at the market.
A Helmand resident, Sardar Mohammad, said more than 10 women had been detained over the past week for allegedly failing to comply with the Taliban’s prescribed hijab and dress regulations or for refusing to follow instructions from officials of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
He said many women are now avoiding the market for fear of being detained.
Local sources also reported that several women were detained over the past two days for allegedly wearing what Taliban authorities considered improper hijab and for traveling without a male guardian (mahram).
Witnesses said an altercation also occurred near the women’s market between a woman and a member of the Taliban’s morality police.
According to witnesses, the woman got out of a vehicle and attempted to enter the market when an officer stopped her.
They said the officer grabbed her by the hand, prompting the woman to strike him with her shoe. A scuffle followed before bystanders intervened and brought the situation under control.
Witnesses said the incident was followed by an increased security presence, with morality police stepping up surveillance, searches and questioning of women entering the market while further tightening restrictions.
Local sources said many women are now asking male relatives to do their shopping to avoid the risk of detention.
Shopkeepers at the women’s market said the stricter enforcement has led to a sharp decline in customers, leaving many businesses on the brink of closure.
They said monthly shop rents range from 20,000 to 40,000 Afghanis, but many traders can no longer afford to pay because of falling sales.
They warned that they may be forced to shut down their businesses if the situation continues.
Taliban authorities have not yet issued an official response to the reports of the alleged detentions in Helmand.
