Authorities in northern Afghanistan have arrested 14 individuals for playing musical instruments and singing during a private gathering, provincial police said on Saturday.
This was a practice banned under the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The police said in a statement that on Thursday night in the capital of northern Takhar province, “fourteen individuals… took advantage of the nighttime to gather in a residential house where they were playing musical instruments and singing songs, which caused disturbance to the public”.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have reimposed severe limitations on music and public entertainment, similar to those enforced during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001.
Music schools have been closed, instruments destroyed, and public performances outlawed. Music is now banned from public places, including weddings, restaurants, cars, and media broadcasts.
Authorities have described music as a source of “moral corruption” and urged former musicians to redirect their talents toward religious chanting and Islamic poetry.
Despite these restrictions, music continues to be performed discreetly in some women-only spaces.
Many musicians fled the country following the Taliban’s return, seeking refuge and employment abroad after losing their livelihoods in a nation already facing deep economic hardship.
The 14 detainees remain under investigation, officials said.
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