Pak footballers forced to shave heads in Kandahar

Pak footballers forced to shave heads in Kandahar
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

July 17: Footballers from a local club in Pakistan were arrested and had their heads shaved forcefully by Taliban religious police for wearing shorts during a match.

Taliban officials stepped in and arrested Pakistani footballers for violating the Islamic dress code in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar -- headquarters of Taliban, media reported on Monday.

The arrest came in the middle of the third and final match of a series between the Pakistan and Afghan football clubs.

Twelve of the players underwent tonsuring, while five others managed to slip to Pakistan's Consulate, it said.

The players from the Pakistani border town of Chaman in Baluchistan province were later released and sent across the border.

The governor of Kandahar, Maulvi Hassan Rehmani, however, apologised for the incident and assured to take action against those involved.

``They were our guests and shouldn't be treated like this,'' he said.

Taliban Minister for Sports and Culture Maulvi Asmatllah resigned as a protest saying the Taliban officials took action without his permission.

The raid triggered a stampede in the stadium where several hundred spectators were watching the match. Scores were injured after they panicked and rushed out of the venue.

The Taliban require sportsmen to wear the traditional baggy pants and long tunic. Women do not participate in sports in Afghanistan.