The Taliban administration has introduced new restrictions at the joint border market operating between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, significantly affecting women shoppers. According to international reports, the market is located in the Hairatan border area of Balkh province in northern Afghanistan and is frequently visited by traders and customers from both sides.
Local media say that the Taliban has now barred women from entering the market unless they are accompanied by a male guardian, known as a Mahram. Taliban security personnel stationed at the site are reportedly stopping women who arrive without a male family member and denying them access.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that even women accompanied by men are being asked to present documents proving their Mahram relationship. If the accompanying male fails to provide acceptable proof, both he and the women with him are refused entry into the market.
Residents of Hairatan have alleged that Taliban security officials sometimes deal harshly with men in such situations, subjecting them to humiliating treatment. One local resident told the media that the conduct faced by Afghans at the market can feel more severe than the behavior of Uzbek authorities across the border.
Locals further claimed that people attempting to cross the border are frequently exposed to verbal abuse, repeated checks, and intense pressure. They added that many women who visit the market are elderly and also travel onward to Uzbekistan or Russia for medical treatment, making the new restriction particularly troubling. In a bold statement, Malala said Taliban deny women’s humanity and rights
Despite growing concern among residents and traders, Taliban officials have so far not issued any formal or detailed statement explaining the rationale behind the new rule or how it will be enforced in the long term.
