SHARIF SHOES.

 The New York Times published an article about sneakers from Pakistan, which in Afghanistan are associated with the Taliban terrorist movement. DTF Magazine presents key messages from an article on why these shoes became part of the Taliban's "uniform"

High-top leather sneakers in white with yellow and green trim are the top bestseller of footwear traders in the bazaar of the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. But, as the NYT writes, for many residents of this country, they cause only one emotion - fear.

This model of sneakers is the favorite footwear of the members of the terrorist movement "Taliban", a kind of status symbol of the militants. The model is called "Cheetah", it is produced by one of the largest shoe companies in Pakistan - Servis Shoe. Sports lovers buy these sneakers, they are popular among Asian athletes and invariably fall into the top of Servis Shoe products. The price of "Cheetahs" ranges from 13 to 25 dollars, depending on whether it is an original or a Chinese fake.

White hi-tops packed in white and blue boxes can be bought in all major markets in Afghanistan, but few agree to talk about them, as the NYT experience has shown. At least a dozen people refused to communicate for fear of incurring the wrath of the Taliban.

The exception was Hashim Shingal, a 36-year-old shoe seller from the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. When asked who buys these sneakers, Shingal replied that he is usually not particularly interested in the personality of customers.

However, he told reporters that Taliban commanders are sending aides or taxi drivers to buy shoes for the entire squadron. Shingal considers winter a good season: then he manages to sell about 300 pairs a month. His clients come from areas surrounding Mazar-i-Sharif, where the Afghan authorities' struggle with the Taliban continues. He adds that militants almost always ask for a check.

The NYT cites the example of a Taliban senior who sent taxi drivers to buy 200 pairs of Cheetahs in the Afghan city of Jalalabad so that members of his squad feel comfortable during an operation against ISIS.

In the south of the country, the Taliban go to the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Chaman for the right shoes. SHARIF SHOES. https://jiji.ug/shop/shoes-women-and-men

Khair Mohammed Timor, a former rebel commander who fought against the Afghan communist government in 1979-1989, and a police officer since 2011, told the NYT how his commander ordered these sneakers more than 30 years ago to give his fighters a more professional look.

In 2001, with the arrival of American troops in Afghanistan, Cheetahs began to be associated with the Taliban terrorist movement, which came to power in 1996 and secured the right to wear these shoes.

In southern Afghanistan, the Taliban change sneakers for sandals in the summer, and in the highlands they wear them throughout the seasons. According to the militants, the shoes serve exactly one year.

For several years now, the Taliban and the Afghan government have been negotiating peace talks. Gradually, the leaders of the militants want to get away from the association with the Cheetahs. The Taliban, despite a long list of human rights violations, oppression of women and participation in the killings of civilians throughout Afghanistan, are trying to make them look like a professional army by dressing them in strict uniforms and ankle boots.

However, sales of "Cheetahs" in Afghanistan are not falling. NYT reporters contacted the head of the Servis Shoe Afghan office, Omar Said, whose office is located in the center of Kabul. The company has been supplying sneakers to Afghanistan for over 25 years, selling about 200,000 pairs in a good year. Said says that every Afghan wears these shoes. And he clarifies that Servis Shoe does not consider the Taliban as its main clients. At the same time, other office employees refuse to give their names or answer questions about who most often buys Cheetahs and why they are so popular among Taliban fighters.

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