In brief
Despite five years in power, the Taliban continues to enforce a strict interpretation of Sharia that curtails women’s rights and limits their public presence. In Sheberghan, an 18‑year‑old female lawyer defied authorities to pursue a divorce after months of abuse. Governor Abdullah Sarhadi, once a Taliban commander, upheld harsh punishments while also showing a smartphone ban that slows communication. The episode mirrors wider social controls that prevent women from attending secondary schools, traveling alone or even speaking openly. Journalists and activists face threats from the intelligence wing Estikhbaraat as they call for greater freedoms.
In Sheberghan city, Governor Abdullah Sarhadi—former Taliban commander—was seen handing out cash to treat a boy’s broken arm and to a mosque, while a cellphone ban for officials slowed communications around him.
A woman, 18, protected in a full‑face veil and sunglasses, demanded a divorce from her husband after months of abuse. Sarhadi scoffed at her request, calling women “mindless”, yet threatened his staff that any beating would lead to jail.
The encounter underscores the Taliban’s lingering policies. Women now barred from secondary education, from traveling alone and from public office; the regime enforces Sharia law in ways that echo its 1990s rule.
Journalists who report on the regime risk summons by the intelligence wing Estikhbaraat; activists who have protested have faced detention.
Despite promises of education and employment for women, the Taliban’s actions show a continued clamp‑down, driven by fears that educated women could threaten the regime’s authority.
