Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – A senior Taliban official who publicly condemned the group’s ban on education for girls and women has reportedly fled Afghanistan amid fears of arrest.
Sher Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban’s political deputy at the foreign ministry, had urged the group’s leadership in January to reopen schools for girls, stating that the ban was not in accordance with Sharia law, as the hardline rulers claimed.
“There is no excuse for this – not now and not in the future,” Stanikzai, a graduate in political studies and military training, had declared at a graduation ceremony in Khost province. “We are being unjust to 20 million people,” he said, referring to the female population of Afghanistan.
His remarks were the first open criticism from a high-ranking Taliban official against the education ban, signaling rare internal divisions over one of the group’s most controversial policies.
For over three years, the Taliban have enforced a nationwide prohibition on female education beyond the sixth grade, despite mounting international pressure and diplomatic isolation.
Following his speech, Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada reportedly ordered Stanikzai’s arrest and imposed a travel ban on him, barring his return to Afghanistan. However, before authorities could detain him, he managed to leave for the United Arab Emirates, according to Afghanistan International.
Stanikzai later confirmed to local media that he had traveled to Dubai for health reasons.
This is not the first time the senior Taliban figure—widely regarded as a moderate within the group—has spoken in favor of restoring education for Afghan girls and women. In September 2022, a year after the Taliban seized power, he had argued that no religious justification exists for depriving girls of education, calling it obligatory for both genders.
His departure comes amid increasing signs of discord within the Taliban leadership, which remains divided between power centers in Kabul and Kandahar. The supreme leader, based in Kandahar, rules with absolute authority but rarely appears in public.
The debate over the education ban within the Taliban ranks has been noted by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which monitors developments in the country.
In a rare public display of emotion last week, Taliban deputy interior minister Mohammad Nabi Omari broke down in tears while addressing a gathering in Khost province, lamenting the impact of the ban on girls’ education.
“All I know is that even if [girls’ education] is not a religious obligation or tradition, it is at least permissible,” Omari said, covering his face as he wept. “May God guide us. Religious studies are allowed, so modern sciences should also be permitted,” he added, as reported by Afghanistan International.
The growing discontent within Taliban ranks suggests an internal struggle over the future of women’s rights in Afghanistan, as the country continues to grapple with strict social policies enforced by its ruling authorities.
