Taliban bans tight men's clothing in Waziristan

The Pakistani Taliban have banned tight or see-through clothing for men, threatening to impose a fine and shutter businesses selling the items, traders from the country's restive tribal belt said Saturday.

Shopkeepers in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan tribal district along the Afghan border told AFP the written warning came ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which began on Thursday in Pakistan.

"All such clothes which are of a thin material and which do not properly cover men's bodies are un-Islamic and against Pashtun culture," said the pamphlet, distributed in Wana bazaar.

It warned that any shopkeeper found selling such items will be charged a fine of 5000 rupees ($50) and will also see his shop closed for at least five days.

The pamphlet also warned male residents "not to wear such clothes".

A government official in Wana confirmed the written warning and told AFP that the local militant groups had previously banned the sale of tight or see-through clothes for women.

South Waziristan is one of seven districts that make up Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The semi-autonomous region of mountains, valleys and caves is one of the most deprived and ill-educated in the country.

Taliban militants in Pakistan have often targeted shops selling music and films that they say break Islamic moral codes.