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.
