Taliban Morality Police Raid Youth Chess Game in Panjshir, Seize Equipment

Local sources in Panjshir report that the Taliban’s morality police raided a gathering of young people playing chess in the Abdullah Khel district on Monday, confiscating their chess sets. According to these sources, the incident involved harsh treatment and insults.

Residents of the area stated that the event occurred on Monday, 23 February. Despite interventions by village elders and influential figures from Abdullah Khel to retrieve the chess equipment, the Taliban’s morality police refused to return it.

Chess, recognized as a strategic intellectual game in many countries, has previously faced restrictions under Taliban rule. On 11 May this year, informed sources announced that the Taliban-controlled sports administration suspended the Afghanistan Chess Federation and declared the game “haram” (forbidden).

The recent actions in Panjshir are seen as part of the Taliban administration’s stringent policies against cultural and sports activities, policies that have sparked concern and protests among youth and residents in several provinces over recent years.