A Bold Stand: Senior Taliban Deputy Defies Supreme Leader, Calls for Lifting Ban on Girls’ Education
Experts say the call to end the education ban reflects a growing divide within Taliban leadership that has been exacerbated by Afghanistan’s deteriorating humanitarian situation
[Islamabad] A Taliban deputy has challenged Afghanistan’s supreme leader, demanding an immediate end to the ban on women’s and girls’ education.
The ban on girls’ education must be lifted without delay, as it has no foundation in Islam and is wholly unjustified in Afghan values
“The ban on girls’ education must be lifted without delay, as it has no foundation in Islam and is wholly unjustified in Afghan values,” Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Afghan government’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, said in a speech at an Islamic seminary in Khost, southeastern Afghanistan.
Addressing a gathering, Stanikzai directly challenged the Taliban’s current policies as incompatible with Islamic teachings. He noted that women’s education was supported in the days of the Prophet Muhammad and underscored the significant contributions of Muhammad’s female companions, who served as educators and mentors to male scholars.
“We are committing a grave injustice by denying 20 million people—half of our population—their fundamental rights,” Stanikzai said. “This deprivation is not rooted in Islamic law but stems from our own choices or inclinations.”
Stanikzai voiced his frustration with the sweeping education bans, condemning the restrictions as both unjust and un-Islamic. He issued a direct and public appeal to Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, urging a change in the policy.
A former officer in the Afghan National Army, Stanikzai, 67, later joined the resistance against the Soviet Union and then against the United States. In 2012, he took on a key role within the Taliban’s political office in Doha and became a prominent member of the team that negotiated the Doha peace agreement with the US. Following the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Stanikzai became a deputy foreign minister.
The Taliban’s ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan has drawn widespread condemnation, both domestically and internationally, as it deprives millions of Afghan girls of their fundamental right to learn. But this is the first instance of a senior leader within the ruling Taliban openly challenging the policy, signaling a pivotal moment of internal dissent.
The policy, enforced since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, bars girls from attending secondary schools and universities, severely limiting girls’ and women’s opportunities. By stifling the potential of half of Afghanistan’s population, the prohibition poses long-term consequences for the nation’s social and economic development. The Taliban’s failure to gain international recognition is also closely tied to its treatment of women and girls.
Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai recently called on Muslim leaders to withhold recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and to actively oppose its harsh restrictions on women’s and girls’ education.
Speaking at the closing session of the International Conference on Girls’ Education in Muslim Countries in Islamabad on January 12, Yousafzai urged Muslim leaders to leverage their influence to challenge the Taliban’s oppressive policies. She emphasized that the restrictions violate Islamic teachings, which advocate for education for all, and called for collective action to ensure Afghan women and girls are not denied their basic rights.
Her appeal adds to the growing pressure on the Taliban to reconsider a policy that has drawn global condemnation. As Stanikzai’s statement made clear, some Taliban leaders, too, have grown frustrated with the rigid policies imposed by the supreme leader.
That Stanikzai delivered his remarks in an Islamic seminary carries significant weight, suggesting a deliberate effort to challenge the status quo rather than an impulsive or isolated outburst. His statement likely followed discussions and consultations with close associates within the movement.
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This move indicates an emerging divide within the Taliban leadership, as more pragmatic voices push back against the hard-line restrictions. Stanikzai’s statement may represent the beginning of a broader internal debate, signaling that cracks are forming in the Taliban’s rigid framework, particularly on issues that deeply affect Afghan society.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Taliban official told The Media Line unequivocally that there would be no formal response to Stanikzai’s remarks.
The official acknowledged the existence of differing opinions among Afghanistan’s leadership regarding girls’ education, noting that such disagreements are voiced on occasion.
Naim Asas, a Paris-based Afghanistan expert and director of the Group for International Studies and Reflections in Social Sciences, described Stanikzai as “one of the more pragmatic voices within the Taliban.” “Stanikzai may be acting out of frustration with policies that have further isolated the regime both internationally and domestically,” he told The Media Line.
Asas said that the worsening humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan, which has been cut off from much foreign aid since the 2021 Taliban takeover, has pushed some leaders to pursue reforms.
“Public dissent often arises when divisions within a ruling elite grow too pronounced to overlook, indicating a potential need for compromise or realignment,” he said.
Public dissent often arises when divisions within a ruling elite grow too pronounced to overlook, indicating a potential need for compromise or realignment
The ban on girls’ education has also drawn criticism from Afghanistan’s urban population, further eroding trust in the Taliban, Asas said.
He noted that the Afghan diaspora, which provides significant financial support to the country, has the leverage to advocate for girls’ education. “The diaspora has amplified global criticism of the Taliban’s policies,” he said.
“Whether this moment leads to meaningful reforms or entrenched authoritarianism will depend on the internal power struggle within the Taliban and sustained international pressure,” Asas said.
Kamal Alam, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, told The Media Line that President Donald Trump’s election was a key factor influencing Stanikzai’s decision to criticize the policy.
“Trump’s national security adviser Michael Waltz and secretary of defense [nominee] Pete Hegseth are both Afghan veterans. Additionally, there are half a dozen other Trump appointees who have served in Afghanistan and are deeply critical of the Taliban and [President Joe] Biden’s perceived failure in Afghanistan,” Alam said.
He said that Trump’s team may end up taking a hard-line stance on the Taliban, including potential cuts to US aid. In that context, Stanikzai’s statement appears aimed at projecting an image of moderation in order to placate the US.
“This move reflects a strategic effort by the Taliban to navigate the shifting geopolitical landscape and secure support amid increasing scrutiny,” Alam said.
Speaking to The Media Line from an undisclosed location, Maria Noori, a prominent women’s rights advocate and founder of the Afghanistan Women’s Light of Freedom Movement, said that the potential consequences for Stanikzai could be severe. “He faces the risk of removal from his position, and if his dissent continues, he could be arrested or even subjected to torture by the Taliban’s security forces,” she said.
She described the Taliban as a group of “religious exploiters who use faith as a tool for political gain.”
The Taliban’s adamant refusal to reopen girls’ schools reflects the slim likelihood of meaningful policy changes regarding women’s rights
“The Taliban’s adamant refusal to reopen girls’ schools reflects the slim likelihood of meaningful policy changes regarding women’s rights,” she said. “Their consistent hard-line stance makes reform seem improbable.”
Sadia Hashmi, another Afghan women’s rights activist, said that the apparent tensions within Taliban leadership have many Afghans anxious about the possibility of a civil war.
“While Stanikzai’s stance challenges hard-line views, it also risks provoking backlash, further deepening divisions within the Taliban leadership and exacerbating uncertainties across Afghanistan,” she told The Media Line.
She said that mounting external pressure might be compelling the Taliban to reconsider its controversial ban on girls’ education.
