Afghanistan's Taliban administration said there would be no public holiday for the Persian New Year this week, but said they would not stop people from celebrating the festival.
Persian New Year, known as Nowruz and celebrated throughout Iran and Central Asia, is a popular festival in Afghanistan and usually marked by a public holiday, when families gather to prepare festive dishes and welcome the beginning of spring.
Mohammad Yunus Sidiqi, spokesman for the labour ministry, told Reuters that there would be no official public holiday on Monday, when Nowruz was set to take place.
