Overview
- Akhtar posted on X on February 21, calling the reported measures “legalised wife beating” and appealing to Indian muftis and scholars to denounce them unconditionally.
- The coverage cites The Independent’s account of a code said to be signed by Hibatullah Akhundzada, with details reported but still subject to further confirmation.
- According to the reports, husbands face penalties only for assaults with a stick that cause severe injury such as broken bones, with the burden of proof placed on the woman and a maximum punishment of 15 days’ imprisonment.
- The same reports say a woman who leaves her husband’s home without permission could be jailed for up to three months, and relatives who shelter her may also be criminalised.
- India’s Population Foundation called the reported provisions “shocking and dangerous,” as Akhtar’s post drew wide online reaction and renewed scrutiny of the Taliban’s treatment of women.