Taliban begins renaming police as ‘shorate’ under new law
The Taliban administration has announced the start of changing the names of Interior Ministry departments from “police” to “shorate,” saying that in the new fiscal year the ministry’s operations will be regulated on the basis of the new law. Alongside defining the powers and duties of security forces, the law also includes restrictions, among them a complete ban on protests across Afghanistan.
Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Taliban administration’s Ministry of Interior, said a special commission has been formed to monitor how the law is implemented across the country. According to him, the name changes on uniforms, vehicles, directorate names, units and independent formations will be carried out gradually.
Under Article 24 of the law, the shorate may arrest a person if a crime is committed in plain sight, or if the person is accused on the basis of strong evidence or information from others and there is a risk of escape. Article 27 also states that a suspect may be held under supervision for up to 10 days for investigation, and any extension of that period must be approved by a court.
Articles 28 to 30 of the law are devoted to the search of individuals, objects and residences. Under Article 28, the shorate has the authority to conduct searches in cases including arrest, suspicion of a person, lack of identity documents, or the possibility of carrying criminal items and illegal goods.
Chapter Five of the law sets out restrictions and prohibitions for shorate forces and other people. Article 50 explicitly bans any kind of protest in Afghanistan, a restriction that directly affects citizens’ civil liberties.
The 53-article shorate law was published in the official gazette and came into force on 29 July 1405 after being endorsed by the Taliban leader. In Afghanistan, the official gazette is the publication that records laws and regulations and, once published, becomes the basis for implementation by government institutions.
