RASC News Agency: According to Uzbek media reports, the Taliban regime has formally requested that Uzbekistan cease the playing of music within the joint Uzbekistan-Afghanistan market located in Termez. A representative of the Termez market revealed that Taliban officials also demanded an end to concerts and entertainment programs within the market premises.
Following their rise to power in 2021, the Taliban enacted strict regulations prohibiting music in public spaces, while shutting down music centers and schools permanently. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice claims to have destroyed more than 21,000 musical instruments in the past year alone.
The Termez commercial center, situated near Afghanistan’s Hairatan border in Balkh Province, allows Afghanistani citizens visa-free entry into Uzbekistan, with a 10-day stay in the designated market area. Covering 260,000 square meters, the market boasts 4,000 shops, production units, import and export facilities, an international medical center, hotels, dormitories, restaurants, and various other stores. It serves as a hub for both citizens and traders for commerce.
While Uzbekistan has yet to officially respond to the Taliban’s request, the group’s assertion that no musical or entertainment activities should take place reflects their broader aim to extend their archaic ideologies beyond Afghanistan’s borders. This demand represents a clear attempt to influence the internal affairs of a neighboring country and suggests the Taliban’s aspiration to enforce their regressive laws on a wider scale.
