The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Saturday ordered women to wear the all-covering burqa in public.

The decree marks one of the strictest controls imposed on women since the IEA came into power in August.

The decree was read out at a press conference in Kabul.

“If the body is covered with any clothing, it is considered hijab, but it should not be so thin to expose the body and it should not be so tight to bring out the body parts,” the decree reads.

The statement said the measure was introduced “in order to avoid provocation when meeting men who are not mahram [adult close male relatives].”

The decree said older women and young girls were exempt but also stated that unless women had important work to attend to outside the house it was “better they stay at home.”

According to the decree, if a woman does not cover her face outside the home, her father or closest male relative could be imprisoned or fired from government jobs.