Three sources told Reuters that the Taliban has ordered all government officials to grow beards and follow a dress code or face being dismissed, the latest of several new restrictions imposed by the hardline Islamist rule.
According to the reports, representatives from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice were patrolling government office doors on Monday to ensure that staff were following the new guidelines.
According to the reports, employees were told that they would no longer be allowed to visit workplaces and would eventually be dismissed if they did not comply with the dress requirements. A request for comment was not returned by a representative for the ministry of public morality.
The Taliban leadership has faced domestic and international criticism for imposing its strict interpretation of Islamic law on all Afghans.