Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) will struggle to gain broader international legitimacy unless it reverses restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg’s The Mishal Husain Show, Karzai said he had repeatedly urged IEA’s officials to reopen schools and universities to girls and allow women to return to work.

“I’ve been repeatedly speaking to them and telling them of the importance of education for Afghanistan, of the importance of Afghan women, half the society, getting back to work,” Karzai said.

Karzai, who led Afghanistan for nearly 13 years after the fall of the first IEA’s government in 2001, said some IEA officials understand and agree with his concerns.

He argued that international recognition and legitimacy depend on meeting certain conditions, particularly restoring girls’ access to education and women’s participation in the workforce.

Since returning to power in August 2021, the IEA has barred girls from secondary schools and universities and imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s employment, movement and dress.

The restrictions have drawn repeated condemnation from the United Nations and Western governments, which have made improvements in women’s rights a key condition for normalising relations with the IEA.

According to the United Nations, about 3.8 million Afghan girls are currently out of school. The restrictions on women’s education and employment are also estimated to cost Afghanistan billions of afghanis each year.

Despite international pressure and several rounds of talks, including meetings in Oslo and Doha, the IEA has so far shown no indication of reversing the education bans.

Karzai also warned about the wider humanitarian and economic challenges facing Afghanistan. The United Nations estimates that 21.9 million people—around 45 percent of the population—will require humanitarian assistance in 2026.

The return of millions of Afghans from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan has added further pressure to the country’s already fragile humanitarian situation.

The Islamic Emirate has previously said that the issue of girls’ education is an internal issue in Afghanistan and efforts are being made to resolve it.

Two Afghan national staff members of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) have been released after being detained for more than a week, a UN spokesman said.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Thursday that the two employees had been released earlier in the day and appeared to be in good health.

“We understand that the charges against them have been dropped, so we are delighted they are out,” Dujarric said.

He added, however, that UNAMA had not been informed of the reasons behind their arrest and detention.

“We’re continuing to follow up with the de facto authorities,” he said, noting that the United Nations is also seeking assurances that the privileges and immunities of its personnel will be respected.

Dujarric also raised concerns over the continued detention of UN staff in Yemen, saying that 73 UN personnel remain in the custody of the Houthis.

“We continue to do everything we can to seek their immediate release,” he said.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have strongly condemned a bombing at an educational centre in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, that injured dozens of people.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement issued Thursday, reaffirmed Doha’s firm opposition to violence, terrorism and criminal acts, regardless of their motives or objectives.

The ministry also expressed its wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack.

The blast occurred on Monday at Sham-e Hedayat Private School in Mahdiya Township, located in Kabul’s 18th security district.

According to local sources, at least 52 people were injured when a hand grenade exploded at around 4:55 p.m. The grenade was reportedly in the hands of a student when it detonated.

The United Arab Emirates also condemned the attack in the strongest terms, expressing concern over the incident and the injuries caused.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it rejects all forms of violence and terrorism that threaten security and stability.

The ministry expressed solidarity with Afghanistan and its people following what it described as a heinous attack, and wished all those injured a speedy recovery.