Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, the acting Minister of Virtue and Vice, asked all religious clerics and security agencies to forbid women from visiting Band-e-Amir National Park at a meeting in Bamiyan.

Hanafi said that the decision was taken because of women's non-observance of hijab and added that women should be prevented from entering this park until a procedure is prepared.

The acting Minister of Virtue and Vice stated that going on a trip is not obligatory.

"Women and our sisters cannot go to Band-e-Amir until we agree on a principle. The security agencies, elders and the inspectors should take action in this regard. Going for sightseeing is not obligatory," Hanafi said.

However, religious clerics in Bamiyan said that these women come to the park from outside Bamyian, and the government itself should do something about it.

"There are complaints about the lack of hijab or bad hijab, these are not Bamiyan residents. They come here from other places, from other provinces or outside of Afghanistan,” said Sayed Nasrullah Waezi, head of the Bamiyan Shia Ulema Council.

"There are dozens like this in every province, which is why problems have arisen, the enemy of Islam has gained courage and is finally pointing to Mullah,(?)” said Mohammad Asif Burhan, a religious cleric in Bamiyan.

Band-e-Amir National Park is one of the tourist spots in Bamyian, which was introduced as the first national park in the country in 2009, and since then it attracts thousands of visitors each year.