KHOST, Afghanistan — Mohammad Nabi Omari, deputy minister of the interior for the Taliban, emphasized the error in believing that governance should be based solely on religious figures like “mullahs and Talibs”.
Speaking at a conference in Khost, Omari highlighted the crucial role of academic professionals in sustaining Taliban governance and advocated for substantial government support for them.
“If I make this mistake, if our leaders make this mistake, to think that the system is built only on me, only on us as mujahids, Talibs, and mullahs, then that is wrong. Congratulations to them, we do not agree with this mistake,” Omari said.
He urged the Taliban administration to facilitate both religious and modern education to navigate the current situation.
“We are bringing forth new engineers, generals, and scientists. It is costly and takes time,” Omari added.
This statement comes at a time when the Taliban have closed schools and universities to girls, and thousands of university professors and skilled professionals have left the country. The majority of positions at scientific institutions are filled by Taliban members.
Despite this, all members of the Taliban call themselves mullahs and mujahideen, many of whom have been educated in religious schools in Pakistan.
