Taliban Ministry Orders Suspension of Al-Mustafa University’s Kabul Campus

DID Press: Sources familiar with the matter say the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has ordered the Kabul branch of Al-Mustafa International University to suspend its activities, while the acting minister of higher education has reportedly opposed the move and called for the institution to continue operating.

According to sources cited by Afghan media, the Justice Ministry recently summoned officials of the university and sought an end to its activities. The official reason for the order has not been publicly disclosed.

Sources said the acting Taliban minister of higher education does not support the closure and has told university officials to continue their educational activities, arguing that the decision falls outside the Justice Ministry’s authority.

It remains unclear whether the closure order will ultimately be implemented or whether the Taliban leadership will intervene. Neither the Taliban’s Justice Ministry nor other relevant authorities have publicly provided a detailed explanation for the reported order. The Justice Ministry’s website currently lists Abdul Hakim Sharaee as minister.

Al-Mustafa International University’s Afghanistan website identifies its Kabul campus and says the institution has 80 faculty and staff members and 1,440 students.

The reported dispute comes amid a series of recent actions involving educational, religious and cultural institutions in Kabul. In September, Taliban authorities also moved against Khatam al-Nabieen University and several other Shiite-linked institutions, according to Afghan media reports.

The reports have raised questions about the authority of different Taliban ministries over educational institutions and the future of Al-Mustafa’s Kabul campus. Claims about the closure order and the internal disagreement have not been publicly confirmed by the Taliban authorities.