Taliban minister says it is mandatory for male employees of all ministries to grow their beards

In Afghanistan, the male employees of all ministries, including the Ministry of Higher Education, are required to grow their beards by the end of Ramadan, tweeted Abdul Baqi Haqqani, who is a senior member of the Taliban.

Baqi Haqqani, who is the Higher Education Minister of Afghanistan, stated that the order is given by His Highness the Emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada.

As per the order mentioned in Haqqani's tweet, it is also mandatory to separate the workplaces of male and female employees.

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No male employee has the right to go to the corridors of female employees and no female employee has the right to go to the men's section and work for each other, the tweet added.

In the same tweet thread, Abdul Baqi Haqqani further asked to "avoid and fully observe" the Islamic hijab.

He said, "Male employees grow beards and have no right to return to work bareheaded. The above provisions also apply to teachers and students of all universities in Afghanistan."

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Since taking over Afghanistan last year, the Taliban are trying to implement a range of policies. Earlier this month, the Taliban's supreme leader banned the cultivation of narcotics in Afghanistan as per an order released on April 3.

"As per the decree of the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, all Afghans are informed that from now on, cultivation of poppy has been strictly prohibited across the country," said an order from the Taliban's supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, announced at a press conference held by the Ministry of Interior in Kabul.