Former Afghan President Karzai tweets his support of protesting female students
By Mohammad Yunus Yawar
KABUL (Reuters) – Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai known as on the ruling Taliban on Sunday to re-open women’ excessive faculties and applauded feminine college students within the japanese province of Paktia who residents mentioned have been publicly protesting in opposition to the measure.
“The voice of Paktia’s feminine college students is the voice of all our women and of Afghanistan,” mentioned Karzai, who remained in Kabul after the Taliban took over simply over a yr in the past, on Twitter.
“We ask the appearing Islamic authorities to open the colleges,” he mentioned.
The ruling Taliban made a sudden U-turn on guarantees to open women’ highschools in March, leaving some feminine college students who had turned as much as class in tears.
Authorities in Paktia mentioned this week that women’ excessive faculties had re-opened, although the transfer had not been formally permitted.
On Saturday, the pinnacle of Paktia’s info division advised journalists any suggestion faculties have been closed was “propaganda”.
However three residents and three Taliban officers, who all declined to be named, advised Reuters that faculties have been shut on Saturday. The residents, one in every of whom is a instructor, requested to stay nameless for safety causes and mentioned the closure had prompted some women to protest.
Video footage proven by native broadcaster Tolo on its web site and Twitter account confirmed dozens of women at school uniform marching down a avenue whereas chanting. Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the footage.
Taliban schooling officers in Paktia and Kabul didn’t reply to a request for remark. The group’s spokesperson declined to remark.
The Taliban sources, who requested for anonymity as they weren’t authorised to talk publicly on the matter, mentioned many within the group wished women to have the ability to go to highschool.
The Taliban have mentioned that they’re engaged on a plan to re-open excessive faculties for women, however haven’t specified when.
Main-school aged women and feminine college college students are nonetheless in a position to attend class.
(Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Modifying by Raissa Kasolowsky)
