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Caught between the Taliban's gender politics and a lack of foreign funding, the public education sector in Afghanistan faces the risk of collapse, aid agencies warn.

At least $1.5 billion is required annually to keep public schools open for millions of students, to pay salaries and provide other essential educational resources, but the war-torn country is unable to provide that amount on its own.

Facing international sanctions, Afghanistan's de facto Taliban government has set a national budget of about $2.6 billion this year, which already suffers from a nearly $500 million deficit.

"Approximately 187,000 teachers will need salary support to avoid a total collapse of the education system," Ashiqullah Mandozai, a spokesperson for Save the Children in Afghanistan, told VOA.

"The new MoE [Ministry of Education] has indicated that they can only pay salaries for 30% of the current work force, which underlines a precarious position for public infrastructure without development funding," Mandozai said.

Foreign donors have stopped development funding for Afghanistan, including to the public education sector, since the Taliban seized power last year but have maintained humanitarian assistance, mostly to avert mass hunger in the country.

Donors also strongly disagree with the Taliban's educational policies, particularly with the closure of secondary schools for girls.

"Between the Taliban's bad politics and a lack of donor funding, Afghanistan's education system is being decimated," said Ghulam Mohammad Fida, director of Afghan Education for a Better Tomorrow, a California-based nongovernmental organization.

The U.N. says Afghanistan's education system has been devastated by decades of sustained armed conflicts, and almost 4 million Afghan children are already deprived of schooling.

In January and February, the U.N. children's agency (UNICEF) paid Afghan teachers a support salary of $100 per person but stopped the payments after the Taliban reneged on their pledge to reopen secondary schools for girls in March.

"The system is undoubtedly strained, and the increased demand for education across the country will require additional support to ensure that children are able to access learning," Joe English, a UNICEF spokesperson, told VOA.

Schools closed, transformed

Secondary schools for girls in most parts of Afghanistan have been closed for more than a year as Taliban authorities say they are waiting for a verdict from religious scholars on the reopening of schools for all girls.

Despite widespread domestic and international condemnation, the Taliban have not indicated when or whether these schools will reopen.

"Depriving girls of secondary education translates to a loss of at least $500 million to the Afghan economy in the last 12 months," UNICEF said last month.

Moreover, the Taliban are increasingly transforming public schools into religious seminaries by overhauling the educational curriculum, hiring clerics as teachers and principals, and discouraging female participation in the educational system.

The "USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] also expressed concern about the conversion of public school buildings, specifically technical and vocational education and training centers and teacher-training colleges, to madrassas. Hours of instruction allocated to religious studies have also reportedly been increased during the quarter," the U.S. government's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction reported to Congress in July.

Senior Taliban officials, such as the minister for higher education, have publicly berated modern education and have vowed for a strict Islamization of Afghanistan's educational system.

Made up entirely of male Islamic clerics, the Taliban's de facto government has failed to earn recognition from any country in the world as it faces universal condemnation for its extremist policies.

In response, Taliban leaders say they are accountable only to God and that the leadership will never budge on its pure Islamic governance.

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Public Education in Afghanistan Faces Collapse, for Boys and Girls - Voice of America - VOA News

Kabul [Afghanistan], September 17 (ANI): The rapid growth of ISIS and the Al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan has put not only Afghanistan but also the region and the rest of the world in grave danger, John Bolton, a former adviser to the US National Security Council said in an interview with Voice of America, local media reported.

Speaking at the VOA interview, Bolton said that the ever-rising influx of international terrorists in Afghanistan should worry everyone in the world and added that US intelligence findings show ISIS and al-Qaeda terrorist groups are restructuring in Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press.

Moreover, the former official also slammed the Taliban for its nexus with international terrorist groups. He highlighted that the Taliban since its takeover of Kabul last August has failed to comply with the provisions of the Doha Agreement to battle terrorism.

The Taliban have proven once again that their words are not worth the paper they are printed on. They have created a worldwide danger, not only in Afghanistan, Bolton said in the VOA interview.

In the backdrop of the US drone strike killing al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the former top official said that the Taliban has not fulfilled its commitments made under the Doha Agreement, especially with the stay of Zawahiri in Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press.

In the months after the Taliban seized national control, the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) has managed to expand its reach to nearly all of Afghanistans provinces. This was stated by the U.N. mission in Afghanistan in November, reported Washington Post.

ISIS-K has also stepped up the tempo of its attacks, carrying out suicide bombings, ambushes and assassinations. ISIS-K began operating in Afghanistan in 2015. It was started by Pakistani national Hafiz Saeed Khan, who had pledged allegiance to then-Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014.

Originally consisting mostly of Pakistani militants and based largely in the eastern Afghan province of Nangahar, it drew some recruits from the Taliban and other extremist groups.

The Islamic State follows a version of Salafism, an ultraconservative movement in Sunni Islam.

In Afghanistan, the Hazaras, a Shiite minority group, have been frequent targets of ISIS-K attacks. ISIS-K is led by Sanaullah Ghafari, also known as Shahab al-Muhajir, who is reported to be in eastern Afghanistan, according to the United Nations.

The Taliban has a history of close ties with Al-Qaeda, a rival to the Islamic State. Though Taliban leaders pledged in a 2020 agreement with the United States to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorist groups, the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike in Kabul last month seemed to indicate ongoing ties between the groups, reported The Washington Post.

Before the Taliban takeover, the United Nations estimated that ISIS-K had some 1,500 to 2,200 fighters in Konar and Nangahar provinces, along with smaller cells in other parts of the country. Islamic State leaders, who think the Taliban is not sufficiently extreme, denounced its victory last year.

Late last year, the core Islamic State group gave USD 5,00,000 in new funding to ISIS-K, according to the UN monitoring team. A Taliban intelligence official acknowledged in the fall that his groups fight to overthrow the US-backed Afghan government allowed many Islamic State prisoners to escape. (ANI)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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ISIS, Al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan puts world in grave danger: Ex-adviser to US national security body - ThePrint

After the change in the regime in Afghanistan, significant developments occurred in the region. Apart from other major happenings, remarkable progress was witnessed in the peace process between the Pakistani establishment and the outlawed Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Both parties held a series of talks in the capital of Afghanistan, in which they agreed upon several matters, while several others were in the process of discussion. However, it has been a few weeks since there is an ambiguous atmosphere between TTP and Pakistan state agencies, in terms of peace talks.

There are several reasons which show that there is a possible deadlock between the two negotiating parties, thus both are reluctant to further the peace process. As there are several gray areas regarding the peace talks on one hand; the TTP on the other hand has increased its so-called defensive attacks in the various parts of the country. Such situations have made peace talks uncertain and their future is looking indecisive in the coming time.

Read more: Taliban opposition leader pushes for a new political front

In the last few weeks, a number of top individuals from the TTP were targeted in various areas of Afghanistan. Omar Khalid Khorasani is a major example in this regard who was targeted in a roadside explosion in the Paktika province of Afghanistan. Similarly, the risks of drone attacks are increasing day by day. In the previous month of August, the US drone attack killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri, which is a serious concern not only for the leadership of the Afghanistan Taliban but for that other terrorist outlets as well. Keeping the increasing security concerns in mind, the TTP leadership is not only worried but also alert in this regard. Therefore, they are more focused on their security and are unwilling to pursue peace talks with the Pakistani state.

More importantly, it is notable that the current Afghanistan government which is comprised of the Afghan Taliban plays a major role in bringing TTP to the peace talks with the establishment of Pakistan. The in-term interior minister of Afghanistan and one of the Key figures in the Islamic Emirates, Sirajudin Haqani played a significant role as a bridge between the outlawed organization and Pakistani intelligence agencies. But currently, a sort of mistrust is developing between the officials of Pakistan and the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan due to many reasons.

Few incidents on the soil of Afghanistan such as several US Drones attacks, and target killings of TTP leaders and other militants by unknown persons have made the situations complex. A few weeks ago, Ayman Zawahiri, the Al-Qaeda chief was killed in a US drone attack in Afghanistan. Mullah Yaqoob, Talibans defense minister blamed Pakistan for facilitating US drone attacks against Afghanistan. Moreover, there are several other matters related to border security, due to which differences are found between the officials of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It is due to the mentioned factors that, the Afghan Taliban has stepped back from pushing TTP anymore in order to continue peace talks with the Pakistani authorities. Therefore, there is an ambiguous situation, and the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan is looking reluctant in facilitating the peace process.

Read more: Taliban claim that the US usurped Afghanistans frozen assets

Similarly, the recent public opinion of the people has also greatly influenced the peace talks with the TTP. Although the civil government partially endorsed the peace talks in front of the camera session, it was hesitant regarding the process behind the scenes. A few days ago, a massive number of people came out on roads in various areas of Malakand Division and the Former tribal region, in order to record their protest against the recent waves of terrorism in the country. Moreover, they openly criticized the decisions behind closed doors and urged clear policy regarding peace talks. The such public opinion further pushed the civil government to think about future outcomes, strictly in the political context. Thus, there are serious reservations of political entities regarding the ongoing peace talks as a result of which there is a delay in the process.

In order to make sure a sustainable and long-lasting result of the process, it is extremely important that the state of Pakistan not only make a comprehensive consensus on the forum of parliament, regarding the peace talks but overcome the reservations of brother Islamic countries on various issues as well. By doing this, it will not only make effective peace talks but those talks will also be greatly acceptable to the people.

The writer currently works as a Research Associate at the International Parliamentarians Congress Islamabad. He has wide experience in writing for various newspapers and can be reached atbarkatullahbarakaat@gmail.com. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Global Village Spaces editorial policy.

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Determining the future of peace talks in Afghanistan - Global Village space

Samarkand: International terrorist groups have become more active on the territory of Afghanistan and about 400 terrorists of the Islamic State have been dispatched to the northern provinces of the country with the purpose of committing terrorist acts, Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, said at a briefing on Thursday.

IS recently targeted the Russian Embassy in Kabul. ET has learnt that Russia has been upset with Pakistans role in creating instability and encouraging terror groups in Afghanistan.

"Fighters of some international terrorist organizations, including those from the CIS countries, have become active on the territory of the republic. We have noted the transfer of about 400 fighters of the Islamic State to the northern provinces of Afghanistan, namely Badghis, Jawzjan, Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan, with the purpose of committing terrorist acts and attacks on civilian and military targets," Sidorov said.

"The main targets of the attacks were senior officials of the Taliban (a movement outlawed in Russia)," the Joint Staff Chief concluded. IS is outlawed in Russia.

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IS gets active in Northern Afghanistan; Moscow upset over Pakistan's role in promoting terror on Afghan so - Economic Times

An explosion was reported to have happened in the provincial capital of Takhar, Taloqan, in northeastern Afghanistan, leaving one person dead and three people injured.

The explosion, according to local sources, took place onSaturday, the 17th of September, at around8:00 am in the Sarraafi Sabeqamarket of Taloqan city.

The bomberis reported to have died and three other people were wounded in this incident, however, according to local media, one other person also died and two more individuals were injured.

Photos taken at the explosion site show the victims blood on the ground and smashed storefront windows due to the explosion in the market.

The local security officials of the Taliban government have also confirmed the explosion in Takhar province.

Earlier, residents in Takhar provinces Khwaja Bahauddin district were reported to have forced the usurping nomadic families.

According to accounts, armed nomads seized homes and land from villagers for days.

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Northeast Afghanistan Explosion Leaves One Dead and Three Wounded - The Khaama Press News Agency