Afghanistan universities yet to reopen, money just a reason listed by Taliban

The Taliban have said universities in Afghanistan are yet to open because of the economic crisis facing the country and also over the issue of co-education.

Taliban minister of higher education Abdul Baqi Haqqani said on Sunday they will need more time and extra budget to make separate classes for girls and hire extra lecturers, reported Khaama Press.

Public universities and high schools for girls are yet to be reopened in Afghanistan, which was recaptured by the Taliban on August 15 this year. After they sieged the country, the Taliban placed a ban on coeducation.

The Taliban also ordered girls will no longer be allowed to sit in the same classes as boys in universities.

Separately, the Taliban said women have to be accompanied by a close male relative if they want to travel long distances.

The ministry for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice in its guidance also called on vehicle owners to refuse rides to women not wearing headscarves, drawing condemnation from rights activists.

“Women travelling for more than 45 miles (72 kilometres) should not be offered a ride if they are not accompanied by a close family member,” ministry spokesperson Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP on Sunday, specifying that the escort must be a close male relative.

Before this, the ministry asked Afghanistan’s television channels to stop showing dramas and soap operas featuring women actors. It also called on women TV journalists to wear headscarves while presenting.