Taliban morality officers in Kandahar are instructing men to hand over women who “disobey” them so they can be “corrected,” according to local residents.

The directives, delivered in mosques across several districts, have sparked criticism and warnings that the practice could fuel domestic tensions.

Residents told Afghanistan International that Taliban officers have recently intensified visits to neighbourhood mosques, urging families to submit women who “do not listen to male family members, go to the market without permission, or fail to observe full hijab.”

Over the past ten days, residents say the officers have repeatedly called on worshippers to follow Taliban instructions and report women who do not meet their standards. In District 9 and other areas, Taliban members reportedly locked mosque doors after evening prayers, preventing people from leaving until the officers had finished speaking.

A resident said armed men blocked anyone attempting to exit early. “We came for prayers, but then they said no one could leave,” he said. “They told us women who do not obey their husbands must be handed over to them so they can be ‘corrected’.”

Another resident in District 5 said the officers declared openly that women who disobey or fail to observe “proper hijab” must be surrendered to them. The statements have prompted strong reactions across Kandahar.

Locals say the Taliban’s demands violate family privacy and social norms. “It is extremely shameful,” one resident said. “No one will hand over his wife to be imprisoned by others.”

Another resident said the Taliban’s instructions represent “blatant interference in family affairs,” noting that similar demands have been made in several districts.

Some residents warned that the behaviour of Taliban morality officers places psychological pressure on women and could embolden men to use the Taliban’s orders as a tool of coercion at home. They cautioned that such actions are likely to increase family conflict.