RASC News Agency: The Taliban have conferred master’s degrees upon select individuals, including members and loyalists of the group, despite their evident inability to write proficiently. Over the past three years of Taliban rule, thousands of religious scholars have participated annually in the Ministry of Higher Education’s qualification assessment exams. However, reports indicate that many of those who have successfully passed and obtained certification lack even the most basic reading and writing competencies. The majority of these recipients are Taliban affiliates, including members, supporters, and relatives of group officials.
This week, the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education officially launched the distribution process for qualification certificates to religious scholars. Sources close to the Taliban have confirmed that several of the so-called “successful candidates” are individuals who struggle with literacy yet have been granted master’s degrees. An informed source disclosed that many of these individuals are Taliban members. A senior official from the Ministry of Higher Education stated:
“A significant number of these individuals had previously been dismissed from their positions due to their lack of essential literacy skills, yet they have still been awarded master’s degrees.”
Among those identified as functionally illiterate, the source explicitly named Mawlawi Maqbool Ahmad Waqas, head of the Accountability Office in Punjab District, describing him as “completely illiterate” yet still a beneficiary of a master’s degree. Earlier this week, the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education announced that more than 2,000 individuals had been awarded master’s degrees. Reports suggest that these recipients are enrolled in expedited, short-term programs, completing their coursework within just six months before being certified.
