Taliban to reopen public universities, no word on female students

FILE PHOTO: Two girls search for books in a book stall outside the Kabul university while two Taliban soldiers pose after asking to be photographed, in Kabul, Afghanistan October 5, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Afghanistan's public universities, closed since the Taliban seized power in August, will reopen in February, the Taliban acting higher education minister said on Sunday, without specifying whether female students would be able to return.

Universities in warmer provinces will reopen from Feb. 2, while those in colder areas would reopen on Feb. 26, the minister, Shaikh Abdul Baqi Haqqani, told a news conference in Kabul.