RASC News Agency: Atal Khan Rahimzai, the top scorer in the 2024 university entrance exams, has publicly expressed his admiration for Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Minister of Interior and leader of the Haqqani network. In an interview with a YouTube channel in Kabul, Rahimzai stated, “I am an admirer of Sirajuddin Haqqani and would like to meet him.” He also expressed his gratitude to the Islamic Emirate for conducting what he described as a “transparent” examination.
However, many exam participants have expressed skepticism regarding the legitimacy of Rahimzai’s achievement, suggesting that his top ranking may have been predetermined. Some participants allege that the Taliban manipulated the exam results to place Rahimzai at the top. Habibullah, another candidate, commented, “This top rank appears to have been pre-determined. The Taliban have manipulated the exam results, selecting a candidate from their own ethnicity (Pashtun) as the top scorer. Even the name and surname of Atal Khan seem contrived.”
Asadullah, another exam participant from Kabul, added, “It is hard to believe that Atal Khan is the top scorer. It seems entirely fabricated. Historically, no Pashtun has topped the university entrance exams in Afghanistan. Students from Atal Khan’s province typically score between 130 and 250 marks. How could he have emerged as the top scorer? The name and surname appear to be orchestrated to portray that Pashtuns are also academically capable.” These suspicions have led some to question the integrity of the exam results, particularly given that Rahimzai has expressed support for a known terrorist figure and shows little regard for principles of freedom.
Atal Khan Rahimzai, hailing from Paktia province, secured the highest score in this year’s entrance exams with 359.61 points. He expressed gratitude to the Taliban and reiterated his hope to meet Sirajuddin Haqqani. Rahimzai mentioned that he did not use social media or television programs for exam preparation and began his studies from the tenth grade. He also expressed a desire to pursue further education abroad and advised young people to dedicate three to four hours daily to studying.
The director of the “New Pamir” course, where Rahimzai studied, noted that in previous years, the top candidates were often female. He highlighted that many are facing significant economic and social challenges. Rahimzai is a graduate of Habibia High School in Kabul and has qualified for admission to Kabul Medical University.
