As Taliban whitewashes picture of woman in Kabul observers fear about safety and rights of women in new Afghanistan

In the image, which was posted on social media by an Afghan journalist, a man could be seen using a roller and white paint to cover up large images of women outside a beauty salon.

Journalist Lotfullah Najafizada tweeted the image and captioned it as: "Kabul."

Under the previous Taliban rule, Afghan women were not allowed to work, study, or be treated by male doctors unless accompanied by a male chaperone but this time a spokesperson of the group said it “will respect rights of women” when it takes control of Afghanistan.

A spokesperson for the Taliban, Suhail Shaheen, told BBC News: "We will respect the rights of women... our policy is that women will have access to education and work, to wear the hijab."

The terror group, which stormed to capture Afghanistan by taking control of Kabul and other cities once the foreign forces started to move out, used to practice a version of Sharia law which included stoning for adultery, amputation of limbs for theft, and preventing girls from going to school beyond the age of 12.

Those who violated laws faced imprisonment, public flogging, and even execution at the time when the group ruled in the country from 1996 to 2001.

People have already started to express doubts over the safety of women in the country ever since the force regained strength in Afghanistan.

There are reports that in some areas of the country that the Taliban is already ordering women there to change the way they dress and sending women home from university and their jobs and telling them not to return to work,  reports BBC.

Pashtana Durrani, a human rights activist and a teacher from Afghanistan, told BBC that what the Taliban says on women's rights and what they're doing in practice are two different things.

"Women won't be silenced by the Taliban" she said, "I have to put up a fight today, so the next generation doesn't have to face all this conflict." she continued.

Pakistani Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai also expressed heer fear over the safety of women as Taliban took control over the country.

She tweeted: "We watch in complete shock as Taliban takes control of Afghanistan. I am deeply worried about women, minorities and human rights advocates. Global, regional and local powers must call for an immediate ceasefire, provide urgent humanitarian aid and protect refugees and civilians."