The Taliban have intensified their cultural crackdown in eastern Afghanistan after authorities confirmed the public destruction of dozens of musical instruments in Nangarhar province, reinforcing the group's nationwide ban on music.
Officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said the instruments were seized and burned in Jalalabad as part of efforts to enforce Islamic law. The incident has drawn renewed criticism from cultural activists and human rights observers who warn that Afghanistan's artistic life is being steadily erased under Taliban rule.
Musical Instruments Burned in Jalalabad
Taliban officials in Nangarhar province confirmed that 86 musical instruments were collected from the Ninth District of Jalalabad and destroyed, as reported by local Afghan media.
The morality police said the operation was carried out to reform society, prevent immoral practices, and implement Islamic principles. A joint committee linked to the provincial governor's office supervised the destruction, with officials stating that similar actions would continue across the province.
Nationwide Music Ban Remains in Force
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on music across Afghanistan. Live performances have been banned at weddings and public gatherings, while radio and television stations have been ordered to remove music from their programming.
Musical instruments have been confiscated and destroyed in multiple provinces, including Kabul, Herat, Balkh, and Kandahar. Public destruction has become a recurring tactic aimed at deterring musicians and venue owners from continuing their work.
Cultural Life Continues to Shrink
Artists and performers say the crackdown has forced many musicians out of work. Some have gone into hiding, while others have fled the country. Traditional Afghan music, once central to celebrations and communal life, has largely disappeared from public spaces.
According to Afghan television reports, cultural activists warn that the destruction of instruments represents a wider effort to silence artistic expression rather than a narrow religious measure.
Educators and historians have also expressed concern about long-term consequences, noting that younger generations are being cut off from musical traditions passed down for centuries.
Human Rights Concerns Grow
International rights groups have repeatedly criticised the Taliban's cultural policies, arguing that the music ban goes beyond religious interpretation and amounts to cultural erasure.
Scholars note that Afghanistan has a long history of religious, folk, and regional music coexisting with conservative values. Critics argue that the current restrictions dismantle that heritage and eliminate one of the country's most enduring forms of expression.
Despite mounting international pressure, Taliban officials have shown no indication that the ban will be relaxed.
Musicians Face an Uncertain Future
For many Afghan musicians, options remain limited. Some continue to practise privately, while others attempt to preserve their work online, often at personal risk, and the ongoing threat of being harassed or even in some cases killed by their government.
Observers say the public burning of instruments sends a clear warning that cultural expression remains tightly controlled by the Taliban. As enforcement actions continue, Afghanistan's public soundscape grows quieter, marking another step in the Taliban's reshaping of daily life.
