Taliban ban tight men's clothing in Waziristan

Published
41

WANA: The Pakistani Taliban have banned tight or see-through clothing for men, threatening to impose a fine and shutter businesses selling the items, traders from the country's restive tribal belt said Saturday.

Shopkeepers in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan tribal district along the Afghan border told AFP the written warning came ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramzan which began on Thursday in Pakistan.

“All such clothes which are of a thin material and which do not properly cover men's bodies are un-Islamic and against Pashtun culture,” said the pamphlet, distributed in Wana bazaar.

It warned that any shopkeeper found selling such items will be charged a fine of 5000 rupees ($50) and will also see his shop closed for at least five days.

The pamphlet also warned male residents “not to wear such clothes.”

A government official in Wana confirmed the written warning and told AFP that the local militant groups had previously banned the sale of tight or see-through clothes for women.

South Waziristan is one of seven districts that make up Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The semi-autonomous region of mountains, valleys and caves is one of the most deprived and ill-educated in the country.

Taliban militants in Pakistan have often targeted shops selling music and films that they say break Islamic moral codes.

Opinion

Editorial

Eating grass for AI
Updated 19 Oct, 2026

Eating grass for AI

As dependence on AI grows, the bill could reach hundreds of millions of dollars by the end of the decade.
Climate exodus
19 Oct, 2026

Climate exodus

SOUTH Asia may see a vast movement of people as climate change makes parts of the region harder to live in. ...
Settler terrorism
19 Oct, 2026

Settler terrorism

ISRAEL’S genocidal violence in occupied Gaza has understandably captured the world’s attention. Yet another...
State of denial
Updated 18 Oct, 2026

State of denial

If the Taliban regime commits to preventing groups based on its soil from attacking neighbouring states, the process of normalisation and regional integration of Afghanistan can begin.
Suffering in silence
18 Oct, 2026

Suffering in silence

TOO many Pakistani children have nowhere to turn when abused online. An estimated 1.5m internet-using children aged...
Export imperative
18 Oct, 2026

Export imperative

THE government’s efforts to boost Pakistan’s external sector through diversified financing, higher foreign...