Days
after
the
Taliban's
latest
order,
female
TV
anchors
in
Afghanistan
went
on-air
Sunday
with
their
faces
covered.
As
per
HT
report,
on
Saturday,
many
news
anchors
had
reportedly
refused
the
diktat
to
conceal
their
appearance
on
TV,
but
their
employers
were
under
pressure.
As
per
the
report,
women
from
TOLO
news,
Ariana
Television,
Shamshad
TV
and
1TV
and
other
popular
channels
wore
hijabs
and
face-covering
veils,
presented
and
reported
on
news
bulletins
and
other
programmes.
(Image
Source:
ShamshadNews
Twitter)
Sonia
Niazi,
a
presenter
with
TOLO
news
told
news
agency
AFP
that
they
initially
resisted
covering
their
face,
but
the
Taliban
pressurised
their
employer.
She
said,
"But
TOLOnews
was
pressured
and
told
that
any
female
presenter
who
appeared
on
screen
without
covering
her
face
must
be
given
some
other
job
or
simply
removed.
TOLOnews
was
compelled
and
we
were
forced
to
wear
it."
TOLOnews
director
Khpolwak
Sapai
said
the
channel
was
'forced'
to
make
its
staff
follow
the
order.
He
said,
"I
was
called
on
the
telephone
yesterday
and
was
told
in
strict
words
to
do
it.
So,
it
is
not
by
choice
but
by
force
that
we
are
doing
it."
(File
Source:
NDTV)
Apparently,
male
colleagues
at
TOLOnews
wore
face
masks
in
solidarity
with
women
presenters.
Ministry
spokesman
Mohammad
Akif
Sadeq
Mohajir
said
authorities
appreciated
that
media
channels
followed
the
dress
code
and
added
that
Taliban
authorities
were
not
against
women
presenters
working
in
the
channels.
Since
seizing
power
last
year,
the
male-only
interim
Taliban
government
has
subjected
women
and
girls
to
a
slew
of
restrictions.
Earlier,
women
presenters
in
Afghanistan
were
only
required
to
wear
a
headscarf.