Female TV presenters in Afghanistan must conceal their faces.

Female Afghan TV presenters have been ordered by the Taliban to conceal their faces while on broadcast.

A religious police spokesman informed that the directive was announced to media channels on Wednesday.

The decision comes just two weeks after all women were instructed to cover their faces in public or face penalties.

Women are being restricted from travelling without male relatives, and secondary schools for girls are being closed.

The new rule has been heavily condemned on Twitter, with many accusing the Taliban of taking yet another move to foster extremism.

“The entire globe is wearing masks to protect themselves against Covid.” The Taliban uses masks to prevent people from seeing women’s faces.

The private Shamshad news channel posted a photo of one of its news anchors wearing a mask, and similar photographs have been shared on social media.

The Taliban has held off publishing new restrictions on what women should wear since taking power last August – until this month.

However, the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and the Promotion of Virtue stated in early May that all women will be required to cover their faces in public. Anyone who refuses to comply now faces an escalating set of penalties.

The most recent directive makes it plain that the hardline rulers’ restriction on face coverings extends to women on television as well.

“The order has been issued to all media outlets in Afghanistan, according to information gathered,” the news station reported.