Afghan Taliban Snubs Girls' Education Summit in Pakistan as Malala Yousafzai Attends

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In a significant event highlighting the gap in girls' educational rights, the Afghan Taliban declined an invitation to attend a summit on girls' education in Islamabad, Pakistan. The summit, titled "Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities," was attended by notable figures, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.

On January 11, 2025, Malala expressed her joy at returning to her home country for this crucial summit, emphasizing the importance of education for girls. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif opened the event, pointing out the challenges faced in ensuring equitable access to education in the Muslim world, particularly stressing that denying education to girls strips them of their voice and future.

Pakistan's Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui confirmed that no representatives from the Taliban-led Afghan government were present at the summit, despite the invitation extended to them. The absence of Afghanistan was highlighted, as it remains the only country where girls are banned from attending school. Muhammad al-Issa, the secretary general of the Muslim World League, also addressed the summit, stating there are no religious grounds for denying girls education.

Amid Pakistan's own educational crisis, with over 26 million children out of school, attendees noted the pressing need for initiatives that support girls' education, especially in rural areas where cultural barriers persist. Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in 2012 for advocating girls' education, is set to deliver a speech addressing the Taliban’s accountability for the injustices faced by Afghan women and girls.

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