▁access ▁to ▁health ▁care ▁and ▁education , ▁windows ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁covered ▁so ▁that ▁women ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁seen ▁from ▁the ▁outside , ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁laugh ▁in ▁a ▁manner ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁heard ▁by ▁others . ▁The ▁Tal ib an , ▁without ▁any ▁real ▁court ▁or ▁hearing , ▁cut ▁people ' s ▁hands ▁or ▁arms ▁off ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁accused ▁of ▁ste aling . ▁Tal ib an ▁hit - s quad s ▁watched ▁the ▁streets , ▁conduct ing ▁arbitrary ▁brut al ▁public ▁beat ings . ▁ ▁The ▁Tal ib an ▁began ▁prepar ing ▁off ens ives ▁against ▁the ▁remaining ▁areas ▁controlled ▁by ▁A hm ad ▁Shah ▁Mass oud ▁and ▁Abd ul ▁R ash id ▁D ost um . ▁Mass oud ▁and ▁D ost um , ▁former ▁fo es , ▁respond ed ▁by ▁al lying ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁United ▁Front ▁( N or thern ▁Alliance ) ▁against ▁the ▁Tal ib an . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁domin antly ▁T aj ik ▁forces ▁of ▁Mass oud ▁and ▁the ▁U z bek ▁forces ▁of ▁D ost um , ▁the ▁United ▁Front ▁included ▁Haz ara ▁fa ctions ▁and ▁Pas ht un ▁forces ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁command ers ▁such ▁as ▁Abd ul ▁Ha q ▁or ▁H aj i ▁Abd ul ▁Q ad ir . ▁Prom inent ▁polit icians ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Front ▁were ▁in ▁example ▁diplom at ▁and ▁Afghan ▁prime ▁minister ▁Abd ul ▁Rah im ▁G ha fo or za i ▁or ▁the ▁U F ' s ▁foreign ▁minister ▁Abd ul lah ▁Abd