Local sources in Takhar report that the Taliban have detained at least 17 female bread sellers on charges of "moral corruption." Sources confirmed to the 8 Sobh newspaper on Thursday that the Taliban arrested the women on the morning of July 13 from the central market in Taloqan, the provincial capital of Takhar, and transferred them to an undisclosed location.

According to the sources, the Taliban detained the women by force and subjected them to physical abuse. Authorities from the Taliban in Takhar have not yet commented on the incident.

It is noted that these women had been selling bread on the streets of Taloqan due to economic hardship following the Taliban's return to power.

The Taliban’s reported arrest of 17 female bread sellers in Takhar, allegedly for “moral corruption,” reflects increasing restrictions on women’s economic participation. These women, working in Taloqan due to severe poverty, were reportedly detained with force and subjected to abuse. With no official justification provided, the incident appears rooted in gender-based discrimination. Punishing women for basic livelihood activities violates their rights to work and underscores the Taliban’s broader effort to exclude women from public life.