Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday, 27 May renewed his appeal to the Taliban to reopen schools and universities to girls and restore employment rights for women in Afghanistan. The call came in an Eid message in which Karzai also addressed recent flood devastation and condemned cross-border attacks attributed to Pakistan.

Karzai's Core Appeal

In his message, Karzai framed education and women's participation as prerequisites for national progress. 'Afghanistan is the shared home of all the people of this ancient land. Our country needs prosperity and progress. But we can achieve progress and a prosperous life only when we become a united and educated nation, all our compatriots feel a sense of ownership in their homeland, and we have a strong human resource equipped with knowledge, technology, and expertise among our youth,' he stated.

He went further, expressing hope that 'the doors of schools and universities be opened before our girls as soon as possible, and opportunities for participation in work and affairs be provided to women and trained cadres.'

Five Years of Classroom Exclusion

Karzai's appeal arrives as Afghanistan's new academic year began for the fifth consecutive year without girls above Class 6 returning to classrooms. The Taliban has barred girls from secondary and higher education since retaking power, extending the prohibition to universities, institutes, and most other learning spaces. Afghan women also face sweeping employment restrictions across multiple sectors.

Notably, this is not the first such call from the former president — Karzai has repeatedly urged the Taliban leadership to reverse these policies, though without visible impact on their stance to date.

Floods and Pakistan Attacks

In the same Eid message — posted on X — Karzai expressed condolences to families affected by floods triggered by recent rains across multiple Afghan provinces. 'While offering prayers for the souls of those who lost their lives and expressing sympathy with the affected, and with appreciation to charitable compatriots and relief agencies, I hope that their assistance to the victims of these floods and also to the compatriots who have recently returned to the country and are in dire need will continue,' he wrote.

He also paid tribute to those killed in what he described as aerial and artillery attacks by Pakistan during the Eid period. 'I commemorate the memory of the martyrs of the aerial and artillery attacks by Pakistan during the Eid days and express my condolences to their bereaved families,' Karzai added.

International Pressure on Taliban

Karzai's statement aligns with sustained calls from United Nations agencies, which have repeatedly urged the Taliban to allow girls access to education and women to participate in the workforce. The international community has largely treated these restrictions as a central human rights concern in any engagement with Taliban authorities.

With no signs of policy reversal from the Taliban, pressure from both domestic figures like Karzai and international bodies is expected to continue as Afghanistan's isolation from global development frameworks deepens.