Taliban Denies Agreement on Afghan Girls' Education in Pakistan

The Taliban administration has reportedly conditionally agreed to allow Afghan female students to pursue higher education in Pakistan, contingent upon their male guardians receiving visas to accompany them. This agreement coincided with the entrance exams for Afghan students aiming for graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs at Pakistani universities, where around 21,000 applications, including over 5,000 from women, were submitted. However, Afghanistan's Ministry of Higher Education has denied these reports, stating that no formal agreement with Pakistan exists regarding scholarships or educational opportunities for Afghan girls. The ministry emphasized that claims of such arrangements are false and described them as propaganda. Amidst ongoing restrictions on girls' education at home, this situation highlights the dire educational landscape for Afghan women, who have been banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade since the Taliban regained power. International calls for the Taliban to lift these bans continue, as access to education remains a critical issue for the future of Afghan girls.