Rasulullah (PBUH) said, "طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِیضَهٌ عَلَى کُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ وَ مُسْلِمَه," meaning "It is the duty of every Muslim (men and women) to seek education." We can understand the importance of education from the time when the prisoners of the Battle of Badr were told that those who could not pay the fine must educate Muslim children.
One of the fundamental rights according to the law of any country is the right to education. It is said that education is the weapon through which one can change the world, and it gives us wings to fly. But the wings of Afghan girls were cut down soon after the fall of the democratic government in Afghanistan. A woman, besides being a homemaker, can also be a doctor, an engineer, an architect, a pilot, and much more. A society where women are deprived of their rights remains far behind.
After the formation of the new government, girls were banned from attending schools above Grade 6. The only institution in which girls are allowed to study is Nursing, and that too is limited to a 2-year diploma.
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As the whole world is not accepting the current Afghan government, it is facing a lot of bans from the outside world, and many countries are welcoming refugees from Afghanistan. Many girls flee to these countries for the sake of education and a better life, where they can turn their dream of education into reality. But the process of seeking asylum and going to these countries requires a lot of time. Many families migrate to Iran and Pakistan on visas, but they also face numerous challenges, fearing to leave their houses and unable to send their daughters to school.
Those Afghans who have Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) and Proof of Registration (POR) cards in Pakistan are allowed to attend schools, and there are many scholarships in various universities.
In 2019, the HEC announced scholarships for Afghan students in Pakistan named "Allama Iqbal Scholarship for Afghan Students." Under this scholarship, there were about 4,500 scholarships for undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctorate students.
However, after the arrival of the Taliban government, the scholarship was also postponed for 2 years as the government was not ready to send girls to study. In 2024, the 3rd phase of the Allama Iqbal Scholarship was announced, and students were selected based on their 12 years of education rather than conducting an exam by the HEC.
