Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Taliban bans Afghan women from visiting popular national park

“Women and our sisters cannot go to Band-e-Amir until we agree on a principle,” said Mr Hanafi.

• August 27, 2023
Afghanistan women (Credit: UN)
Afghanistan women (Credit: UN)

The Taliban government has banned Afghanistan women from visiting the popular national park, Band-e-Amir, in Bamiyan province, an Afghan agency, Tolo News, reported on Sunday.

The outlet also disclosed that Afghanistan’s acting minister of virtue and vice, Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, had called on religious clerics and security agencies to forbid women from entering the park until a solution was found.

According to Mr Hanafi, the ban was because women had not been observing hijab inside the park and that visiting the park to sightsee “was not obligatory”.

“Women and our sisters cannot go to Band-e-Amir until we agree on a principle,” said Mr Hanafi. “The security agencies, elders and the inspectors should take action in this regard. Going for sightseeing is not obligatory”.

However, Sayed Nasrullah Waezi, head of the Bamiyan Shia Ulema Council, said, “There are complaints about lack of hijab or bad hijab; these are not Bamiyan residents. They come here from other places”.

Also, Afghan former MP Mariam Solaimankhil shared a poem she had written on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the ban and wrote, “We’ll return, I’m sure of it.”

Fereshta Abbasi of Human Rights Watch disclosed that women had been banned from visiting the park on Women’s Equality Day and wrote that it was a “total disrespect to the women of Afghanistan.”

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, asked why stopping women from visiting Band-e-Amir “is necessary to comply with Sharia and Afghan culture?”.

Meanwhile, the Band-e-Amir National Park was the first Afghanistan national park in 2009 and a popular tourist centre. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) describes the park as a “naturally created group of lakes with special geological formations and structure, as well as natural and unique beauty”.

The Taliban has been known for implementing bans on women doing certain activities on what it insists is a temporary basis, including preventing them from attending schools in December 2022 and many more.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Kingdom of Morocco's Royal Armed Forces signed a memorandum of understanding

Africa

Anti-Terrorism: U.S AFRICOM, Morocco to establish tech-driven training, experimentation centre in Africa

Mr Anderson said the centre would increase readiness and advance capabilities of both nations.

Argentina players celebrating after the match against England 

Sport

Argentina stun England to set up World Cup final clash with Spain

Spain defeated France 2-0 at the Dallas Stadium on Tuesday to qualify for the final. 

Federation Account Allocation Committee

Heading 3

FG, states, LGs shared N2.550 trillion June revenue: FAAC 

Mr Mokwa said the revenue was shared at the July meeting of the committee.

UK Metro Police

Heading 2

14-year-old boy charged with terror offences targeting London mosques

The boy was arrested on 9 July on suspicion of criminal damage to a vehicle.

Alleged rape victim

States

Delta content creator arrested after alleged rape victim dies by suicide

According to the victim, Mr Ogbonna initially demanded sex in exchange for financial help.