Afghan girls must return to schools in spring, says Hamid Karzai

Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has emphasised that girls must return to schools in spring.

Karzai says the right to be educated and to work has been granted by Islam to women and should not be compromised, according to Tolo News.

The US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, earlier, said the US and the international community will pay the salaries of teachers in Afghanistan if all girls' schools are reopened across the country.

Since the collapse of the previous government on August 15 last year, girls' secondary schools have remained closed in most parts of the country as reported by Tolo News.

Karzai also said he and Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation in the previous government, will not be members of any government, according to Tolo News.

( With inputs from ANI )