Taliban Snubs Girls' Education Summit in Pakistan as Malala Yousafzai Speaks Out

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In Islamabad, the "Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities" summit commenced on Saturday, highlighted by the presence of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai. The Afghan Taliban government did not attend the conference, which aimed to address the pressing issues of girls' education in Muslim-majority countries. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the severe challenges faced in providing equitable education, stating that denying girls access to education is equivalent to denying them a voice and a future.

Despite Pakistan's own educational crisis with over 26 million children out of school, the summit sought to gather support from global Muslim leaders for girls' education. The Taliban's absence was noted after an invitation was extended by Islamabad, with no representatives from Kabul attending the proceedings.

Yousafzai, who survived a 2012 assassination attempt by the Pakistani Taliban, expressed her joy at returning to her homeland and is expected to address the need for accountability regarding the Taliban's restrictions on Afghan women and girls. As calls rise for the Muslim world to champion girls' education, the summit's initiatives seek to unite leaders against gender-based barriers in education.

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