Taliban-led ministry orders forces to respect Afghan 'public's privacy'

In a surprising decree, the Taliban led Ministry of Vice and Virtue has ordered their forces against invading "people's privacy" and asked them not to take the phones of people and go through them.

A spokesperson for the vice and virtue ministry warned that the Islamic Emirate would punish those security forces who violated the decree, TOLOnews reported.

"Acting Minister of Vice and Virtue Shiek Mohmmad Khalid has said at different events that the Islamic Emirate forces are not allowed to take the phones of people and go through them," said ministry spokesperson Mohammad Sadeq Akif.

This comes a few days after the outfit had ordered that some taxi drivers in Kabul not carry male and female passengers at the same time.

"Last week, they told us that men and women should not be in a vehicle at the same time," said Abdullah Jan, a driver.

Despite such decrees and actions, the Taliban continue to say that it is committed to women's rights based on Islamic Regulations.

Since the Taliban took over in August, signs of Taliban brutal rule of 1996-2001 have started reappearing on the streets of Kabul.

Women were forced to wear a burqa, not go outside without a male guardian. Prayer timings were brutally imposed, men were forced to grow beards.

The Ministry for the Virtue and Vice has also issued "religious guidelines" calling on Afghanistan's TV channels to stop showing women in dramas and soap operas.