The Taliban-led government has banned Afghan women from dining at restaurants with open spaces, as well as from visiting historical places around the country.
The development comes right after objections from clergymen, who complained about gender mixing in public places.
"It was like a park but they named it a restaurant and men and women were together. Thank God it has been corrected now. Also, our auditors are observing all the parks where men and women go," Azizurrahman Al Muhajir, the chief of the Vice and Virtue D,rectorate in Heratm was quoted as saying by a local news agency on Tuesday.
Baz Mohammad Nazir, who serves as the deputy of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue's directorate, said that the new ruling is only meant for restaurants with parks.
"After repeated complaints from scholars and ordinary people, we set limits and closed these restaurants," he said, warning that places that fail to comply with the new orders risk being closed.
However, Zalmay Safa, the top Taliban official for ancient sites in Herat, confirmed that the government has banned women from visiting historical places too.
"Based on the promise Islamic Emirate officials have given, efforts are underway for reforms and we hope that families are given permission to visit historical sites," Safa told a media briefing on Monday.
Since reclaiming power in August 2021, the Taliban has introduced a series of restrictions on girls and women, including their exclusion from secondary and higher education.
Moreover, they are also barred from making appearances in parks and gyms, besides taking public baths.
Women have also been excluded from all forms of employment. Last year, they were banned from working in the government sector, as well as in NGOs.
Earlier this month, the Taliban ordered women working at the UN Office in Kabul to remain at home as they cannot stay employed under the rules imposed by the group.
*under UN sanctions for terrorism