An Afghan plan to build a network of government-approved religious schools to try to undermine the radical madrassas used as a recruiting ground by the Taliban is failing to attract international financial support, according to the country’s education minister.

Hanif Atmar, who has a reputation for being one of the government’s most able administrators, said 90 per cent of the international development agencies and charities he approached were “sympathetic”. But many were prevented from providing funding because “their rules won’t allow it”.