Employees from Afghanistan's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice have burned 500 musical instruments on bonfires, all of which were "instruments of moral corruption" seized by authorities from residents of Parwan province over the past year.

The Department for the Promotion of Virtue, Prevention of Vice, and Hearing Complaints in central Parwan province reported the burning of more than 500 musical instruments and related items, reports Pajhwok Afghan News agency.

Mawlawi Maqbool Ahmad Waqas, head of the department, told Pajhwok that these items, used for dancing and celebrations at ceremonies, had been collected over the past year from the provincial center and districts.

He said that on Wednesday, the instruments were burned in the Gulghandi area in the presence of officials from the provincial government, intelligence department, and other relevant authorities.

Waqas emphasized that the action was part of ongoing efforts to combat vice and urged residents to refrain from using items considered contrary to Sharia law.