No PhD degree, master's degree valuable, says Taliban's Education Minister

No PhD degree, master's degree is valuable today. You see that the Mullahs and Taliban that are in the power, have no PhD, MA or even a high school degree, but are the greatest of all, said Sheikh Molvi Noorullah Munir.

Hyderabad:Hours after the Taliban formally declared a caretaker government in Kabul Tuesday, Afghanistan's new Minister of Education, Sheikh Molvi Noorullah Munir, questioned the relevance of higher education. "No PhD degree, master's degree is valuable today. You see that the Mullahs and Taliban that are in the power, have no PhD, MA or even a high school degree, but are the greatest of all," Sheikh Molvi Noorullah Munir is heard saying in the video.

Although baffling, the new education minister's statement is on the lines of Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada who publicly made it clear that "in the future, all matters of governance and life in Afghanistan will be regulated by the laws of the Holy Sharia."

Even though the Taliban have promised a new, improved version of the hardline group, in an attempt to seek global recognition, the claims have been questioned because of the reality on the ground and the pronouncements of its leaders.

The Taliban on Tuesday formed the interim "Islamic Emirate", appointing hardliners in its new government who oversaw the 20-year fight against the US-led military coalition. The cabinet members consist of many Taliban figures that are considered hardliners. The list announced by chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was dominated by members of the group's old guard, with no women included.