I deeply regret that girls’ education above 6th grade remains suspended in Afghanistan: Antonio Guterres

"Support for the rights of Afghan women & girls is support that lifts children out of hunger & communities out of poverty," he tweeted.

"I deeply regret that girls’ education above 6th grade remains suspended – an unjustifiable violation of equal rights that damages the entire country," he said.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan decided to shut down the school for girls in the country, on a day the institutes were scheduled to reopen, creating confusion in the country late last month.

Afghanistan was set to reopen schools from Mar 23 after months of remaining shut since the Taliban came to power in the war-hit country on Aug 15.

Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, USA and several other nations had condemned the Taliban’s decision not to re-open secondary schools to Afghan girls.

"We are united in our condemnation of the Taliban’s decision on March 23 to deny so many Afghan girls the opportunity to finally go back to school.  The Taliban’s action contradicted its public assurances to the Afghan people and to the international community," read a statement issued by the foreign ministers of several nations.