Taliban-led Ministry of Higher Education Removes Persian from Official Documents

The Ministry of Higher Education under Taliban administration has completely excluded the Persian language in an official document published by Kabul Education University, issuing the statement solely in Pashto and English.

According to this document, there is no sign of Persian usage—a language that, as one of Afghanistan’s official and historical languages, has always played a central role in higher education, scientific research, and academic correspondence.

This move continues a recent trend in which the Taliban administration has removed Persian from signs and documents of several government institutions, including the anti-narcotics directorate of Takhar province and the Abu Ali Sina Balkhi specialized clinic. Reports indicate that this process is ongoing in other departments and areas controlled by the Taliban.

Critics consider this policy restrictive to the country’s linguistic and cultural diversity and warn that the systematic elimination of Persian could weaken social cohesion, violate linguistic justice, and damage Afghanistan’s national identity—a matter that requires serious accountability and reconsideration by the Taliban administration.