De facto morality enforcement officers (Muhtasibin) from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice have forcibly closed multiple male tailoring shops across Kandahar city. The closures follow strict enforcement directives prohibiting male tailors from sewing or taking measurements for female apparel.
The administrative crackdown has dealt a severe blow to local tradesmen, many of whom are sole breadwinners supporting extended families. Affected tailors, including recently returned Afghan deportees from Pakistan and veteran craftsmen operating in central markets, report complete income loss alongside mounting debts for shop rent and basic household necessities.
The prohibition has simultaneously created acute socio-economic pressure for local households. Given the extreme shortage of formal female-operated tailoring centers within Kandahar city, families have traditionally relied on established male tailors to produce affordable custom clothing. Without access to male tailors, residents are forced to seek out scarce rural seamstresses or purchase significantly more expensive ready-made garments, worsening household budget strains during a period of widespread economic stagnation.
Human rights monitors observe that gender-segregation mandates imposed on informal trades progressively eliminate urban employment opportunities while penalizing low-income consumers. The enforced closures in Kandahar illustrate the de facto administration’s prioritization of rigid ideological policing over economic stabilization and basic community livelihoods.