Karzai Says Girls’ Exclusion From School Prevents Him From Backing Taliban
Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s former president, has said he cannot speak positively about the Taliban administration’s performance while girls remain deprived of education, a stance that once again underscores the impact of educational restrictions on the group’s domestic legitimacy.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Karzai said Taliban officials had repeatedly asked him to say positive things about their performance, but he replied that such a thing was not possible as long as girls were barred from school. He said: “When girls return to school, I will have something positive to say about you; not today.”
The former Afghan president said girls’ education and women’s presence in society are essential for the country’s future, adding that Afghanistan needs educated women in various fields, including business, education, medicine, economics, engineering, the judiciary and the media.
According to him, if girls do not go to school and women are not allowed to work, Afghanistan cannot become a “dynamic and living” society. His remarks come as the Taliban administration’s restrictions on women’s education and work remain among the most contentious issues in Afghanistan.
In another part of the interview, Karzai said restrictions have also been imposed on his movements and meetings since the Taliban returned to power. According to him, he must inform Taliban officials before leaving the house, and security forces accompany him.
Hamid Karzai is one of Afghanistan’s prominent political figures and has remained in Kabul since the collapse of the former system. In recent years, he has repeatedly stressed the reopening of schools and women’s participation in public life.
