The Taliban's morale police in Afghanistan have banned Valentine's Day celebrations.
A holiday that has never been widely celebrated in this country, although in recent years some well-heeled Afghans living in cities have started celebrating Valentine's Day by buying flowers.
The result is that in Kabul's well-known Flower Street, very few customers frequent the few shops that continue to display flowers and heart-shaped garlands.
The Taliban explained that Valentine's Day "is not Islamic and is not part of Afghan culture, but it is a day for the infidels".
The reasons given are contained in one of the various signs displayed in the shops, which bear the heading of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice where potential buyers are warned: "Avoid celebrating Valentine's Day!, because it is how to show sympathy to the Christian Pope".
An AFP correspondent said officials from the ministry concerned had patrolled the Flower Street area, dressed in their white uniforms and followed by an armed escort, to check whether or not the ban was being enforced, but noted that a young couple he had bought some flowers on the sly and quickly left the 'shop' when they saw police patrols.
"The situation has changed: we can't celebrate 'Valentine's Day' like other years," lamented a merchant named Zahrah.
"But we celebrate it anyway-she added. There are some restrictions, the situation is not good and we celebrate it at home".
Since they came to power in August 2021, the Taliban authorities have imposed numerous restrictions on social life in the country, especially against women, effectively excluding them from public life.