A high-ranking Taliban official, Sher Abbas Stanikzai, has urged the group’s leader to scrap education restrictions on Afghan women and girls during a speech at a religious school in Khost province on Saturday. As the political deputy at the Foreign Ministry, he stated there was no valid reason to deny education to females.
The current Taliban administration has restricted female education beyond year six. Reports from September indicate that medical training and courses for women have also been halted, though authorities have not officially confirmed this restriction, AP news agency reported.
The healthcare system in Afghanistan requires female medical professionals to treat women and girls. Stanikzai, speaking in a video posted on his official X account, emphasised that denying rights to half the population contradicts Islamic law and represents personal preferences rather than religious doctrine.
Stanikzai, who previously led Taliban negotiations for foreign troop withdrawal, has advocated for women’s education before. His recent statement, however, marks his first direct appeal to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada for policy change.
Crisis Group analyst Ibraheem Bahiss noted that while Stanikzai has consistently supported girls’ education, his latest statement more explicitly challenges current policies and their legitimacy.
At a recent conference in Islamabad, Malala Yousafzai urged Muslim leaders to confront the Taliban regarding female education. The UN maintains that international recognition remains unlikely while restrictions on women’s education, employment and movement persist.
Whilst no nation officially recognises the Taliban government, some countries are establishing diplomatic connections. Russia has strengthened its ties, and India continues to develop relations with Afghan authorities, as evidenced by the recent meeting in Dubai between Indian diplomat Vikram Mistri and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
