| Unexpectedly. I thought they'd do that much sooner. |
[GEO.TV] Afghanistan's Taliban
 ...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
morality ministry pledged Monday to implement a law banning news media from publishing images of all living things, with journalists told the rule will be gradually enforced.
It comes after the Taliban government recently announced legislation formalising formalising implementation of Shariah law.
"The law applies to all Afghanistan [...] and it will be implemented gradually," the front man for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) Saiful Islam Khyber told AFP, adding that officials would work to persuade people that images of living things are against Islamic law.
"Coercion has no place in the implementation of the law," he said.
"It's only advice, and convincing people these things are really contrary to sharia (law) and must be avoided."
The new law detailed several rules for news media, including banning the publication of images of all living things and ordering outlets not to show disrespect towards the religion, or contradict Shariah law.
Aspects of the new law have not yet been strictly enforced, including advice to the general public not to take or look at images of living things on phones and other devices.
Taliban officials continue to regularly post photos of people on social media and Afghan journalists have told AFP they received assurances from authorities after the law was announced that they would be able to continue their work.
The information ministry did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.
"Until now, regarding the articles of the law related to media, there are ongoing efforts in many provinces to implement it but that has not started in all provinces," Khyber said.
He added "work has started" in the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar and the neighbouring Helmand
...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan...
province, as well as northern Takhar.
Before the recent law was announced, Taliban officials in Kandahar were banned from taking photos and videos of living things but the rule did not include news media.
"Now it applies to everyone," Khyber said.
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