[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...warned its fighters in Afghanistan against sightseeing at tourist attractions and taking selfies to post on social media, stressing that it damaged the group’s status, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Thousands of Taliban fighters were deployed to the capital Kabul after the group seized control of Afghanistan on August 15.
"When not on duty, they sightsee, picnic and visit amusement parks, in a tangle of guns and turbans. Taliban fighters from elsewhere in Afghanistan have also come to gawk at Kabul on tourist trips," the Wall Street Journal reported.
The Taliban government’s Defense Minister Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob scolded the fighters for their behavior.
"Stick to the tasks you have been assigned. You are damaging our status, which has been created with the blood of our deaders," he said.
He specifically warned fighters against taking selfies with Taliban leaders when they come across them and posting the pictures on social media as it betrays information about the location and activities of group members.
The minister also criticized the way Taliban fighters dressed, ordering them to bring their beards, hair and clothes into line with the group’s harsh interpretation of Islamic rules.