Law of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vices
Chapter Two Responsibilities and Duties of the Overseer Responsibilities of the Overseer Concerning the Respect for Islamic Symbols, Prophets, Companions, and Righteous Predecessors

Article Sixteen:
1. The overseer is responsible for ensuring that government employees and the general public respect Islamic symbols, the Prophets, peace be upon them, the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and the righteous predecessors, may Allah have mercy on them.
2. The overseer is responsible for disciplining those who violate these provisions according to the rulings of this law.

Article Sixteen enshrines ideological control by criminalizing any perceived insult to religious figures or symbols as defined by the Taliban’s rigid doctrine. While positioned as a protective measure for Islamic values, it grants broad punitive authority to “overseers” with little clarity on thresholds for violation. This provision undermines freedom of belief, suppresses theological diversity (including within Islam), and opens the door to arbitrary punishment for religious minorities, reformists, or critics. The vagueness of "respect" also allows its use as a tool for political or sectarian repression.