A two-day international conference titled “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities” was held on Saturday in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. According to a statement from Pakistan’s government, 150 representatives from 47 countries, including scholars, religious leaders, experts, and human rights activists, attended the conference.

The conference aimed to raise awareness in Muslim communities about the importance of girls’ education.

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, condemned the banning of girls’ education in Islamic societies, stating that denying girls their right to education is like denying their future.

“Despite our rich heritage, the Muslim world, including Pakistan, faces significant challenges in ensuring equitable access to education for girls. Denying girls education is like denying their voice and choice, and at the same time, depriving them of the right to have a bright future,” said Sharif.

The conference was hosted by Pakistan’s Ministry of Education and organized in collaboration with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is based in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Representatives from nearly 50 Islamic countries and other global organizations participated.

Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, the leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, also addressed the conference: “Education is the key to progress and prosperity in any society. Islam, therefore, has made the pursuit of knowledge a fundamental pillar of its teachings, and it has urged humanity to seek knowledge. According to the Quran’s guidance, knowledge is not only for men but is also an obligation for women. Educating a boy means educating an individual, but educating a girl means educating an entire family.”

Meanwhile, the former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that Pakistan’s hosting of this conference is not due to genuine concern for Afghan women, but rather has a propagandistic motive.

“Pakistan is organizing an Islamic conference on women’s education targeting Afghanistan to embarrass the Taliban leader who has imposed severe limitations on women’s education. Obviously, this is not out of any sincere concern for Afghan women, but rather is a propaganda move as part of the ongoing conflict with the Taliban (Islamic Emirate). But sometimes, even your enemy can end up doing you a favor. It is true that the Taliban leader’s draconian restriction on women’s education is un-Islamic, harmful to the country’s national interest, and a violation of human rights. When will the sensible elements of the Taliban and other Afghans stand up against the ill-guided decisions from Kandahar? Ultimately, it falls on the Afghans to solve this problem,” said Khalilzad.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Minister of Education stated that the Islamic Emirate’s delegation had also been invited to attend the conference, but there has been no report of their participation yet.

The conference will continue tomorrow (Sunday) and will conclude with the signing ceremony of the Islamabad Declaration, which reflects the collective commitment of Islamic societies to the education of women and girls.