The Taliban have conditionally agreed to allow Afghan girls to study in Pakistan. Female students can pursue higher education if male guardians receive accompanying visas. This decision comes amid growing international criticism over Afghanistan’s restrictions on women’s education.
Afghan officials revealed this understanding as hundreds of Afghan students appeared for entrance exams for Pakistani universities. The tests aim to select candidates for graduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. programs.
Entrance Exams for Pakistani Scholarships Under Taliban Conditions
The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) is organizing exams for Afghan students under a scholarship program. Nearly 21,000 Afghan candidates, including more than 5,000 females, applied for the 2025 summer sessions. Officials confirmed a significant turnout at test centers in Peshawar and Quetta. Afghan students unable to travel will participate online.
HEC plans to select 2,000 Afghan students for scholarships. One-third of the selected candidates will be female. This program, offering fully funded scholarships, covers diverse fields such as medicine, engineering, and computer science.
Taliban Mandated Visa Requirements for Chaperones
Afghan girls will study in Pakistan under strict conditions set by the Taliban. Female students must travel with a mahram (male chaperone), as required by Afghan law. Pakistan’s government confirmed the issuance of visas for male guardians to facilitate this arrangement.
An Islamabad official acknowledged Kabul’s cooperation. “We are grateful for their agreement to allow females to study with guardians accompanying them,” the official said. However, the Taliban have not publicly commented on this development.
Taliban’s Ban on Girls’ Education
The Taliban banned girls’ education beyond the sixth grade after regaining power in August 2021. Women are also barred from traveling alone and working in most sectors. These restrictions halted Pakistan’s scholarship programs for Afghan females for two years.
International organizations, including the United Nations, condemned these restrictions. The UN called the policies “gender apartheid” and demanded immediate reversals. The Taliban defended their decisions, citing Islamic law and Afghan cultural values.
Diplomatic Efforts Amid Rising Tensions
The education arrangement comes as bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain tense. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of harboring anti-Pakistan militant groups. The Taliban deny these allegations.
Last month, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, visited Kabul for talks. He discussed political, security, and trade cooperation with Taliban leaders. Sadiq described the meetings as productive, focusing on reducing tensions and fostering collaboration.
Addressing a recent gathering of Afghan and Pakistani representatives, Sadiq emphasized strengthening people-to-people connections. “Education is a crucial sector for enhancing ties,” he said.
International and Regional Implications
The decision to allow Afghan girls to study abroad highlights the Taliban’s efforts to deflect global criticism. However, strict conditions attached to the policy underscore their commitment to conservative governance.
Pakistan’s initiative to educate Afghan students aims to improve bilateral ties. The scholarship program serves as a diplomatic gesture toward Afghanistan, despite ongoing security concerns.
Observers believe this arrangement will provide limited relief to Afghan women, who face harsh restrictions at home. Whether this cooperation signals broader policy changes remains uncertain.
The Taliban’s conditional approval for Afghan girls to study in Pakistan marks a significant yet limited step. Education remains an essential tool for fostering stronger ties between the two nations. However, restrictive conditions and escalating tensions cast doubt on broader progress for women’s rights in Afghanistan.
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