“It is just an external culture that is imposed on us and forces us to wear a mask and that can create a problem for us when presenting our programs,” said Sonia Niazi, TV presenter for TOLOnews.

A local media official confirmed that his station had received the order last week, but was forced to implement it on Sunday after being told it was not under discussion. He spoke on the condition that he and his station remain anonymous for fear of retaliation from Taliban authorities.

During the last time the Taliban were in power in Afghanistan, between 1996 and 2001, they imposed crippling restrictions on women, forcing them to wear the all-encompassing burqa and barring them from public life and education.

After they retook power in August, the Taliban initially appeared to have eased their restrictions somewhat and did not announce a dress code for women. But in recent weeks, they have taken a sharp, hard-line turn that has confirmed the worst fears of rights activists and further complicated the Taliban’s dealings with an already distrustful international community.

Earlier this month, the Taliban ordered all women in public to wear head-to-toe clothing that only leaves their eyes visible. The decree said that women should leave the home only when necessary and that male relatives would face punishment for violations of the women’s dress code, starting with a citation and escalating to court hearings and jail time.

The Taliban leadership has also banned girls from attending school after the sixth grade, reversing earlier promises by Taliban officials that girls of all ages would have access to education.

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