KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2022) Canada's foreign affairs department has condemned the recent decision by the Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities) to oblige Afghan women to wear a full hijab in public.
"Canada is deeply concerned by escalating restrictions on Afghan women by the Taliban, now including the ruling to wear the all-covering burka in public. The human rights gains for women and girls in Afghanistan achieved in recent decades must be preserved," Global Affairs Canada said on Twitter on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the Taliban government in Afghanistan issued a new order on the wearing of hijab, saying that a full body covering (paranja, or burqa) is advised for women when being in public.
According to the new decree, a woman's male relatives, such as her father or husband, could face punishment, including jail time, if the woman does not adhere to the proper dress code.
In December 2021, the Taliban issued a decree on women's rights which acknowledged that women are not property and cannot be forced into marriage. In January, the movement made it obligatory for women to wear the face-covering hijab in public, which caused protests in Kabul.
