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Officials cry foul over ethnicity and tribe categories for ID cards
The Afghan National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) has allegedly classified a number of ethnic groups and tribes into categories – in a move met with a strong backlash by Afghans including some government officials.
The categorized list of ethnicities and tribes is included in an online platform for registration for the new electronic national ID cards.
Based on the list, all Pashtuns in Afghanistan are classified into one ethnic group but the rest of the groups such as Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are each divided into several tribes.
Some politicians believe that the NSIA’s list “deliberately” fuels disunity among the people of Afghanistan as the organization has categorized ethnic groups based on their “villages, districts and tribes.”
Second Vice President Sarwar Danish said the list lacks “scientific and practical” elements and this in itself could lead to disputes in the country.
“Hasty decisions would question the government and create divisions and mistrust among our people,” Mohammad Hedayat, the head of Danish’s media office said.
Meanwhile, former Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani stated that the NSIA has intentionally planned to divide ethnicities based on districts and villages.
Atta Mohammad Noor, Chief Executive of Jamiat-e-Islami Party, claimed that the NSIA is not “aware of the difference between an ethnicity and place of residency.”
“This government organization is not yet aware of this important fact that there is a huge difference between an ethnicity and the residence of a group, and you can never count the name of the location as the ethnicity of a specific people,” said Ahmad Afzal Hadid, Head of Balkh Provincial Council.
Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, also spoke out against the NSIA’s decision and called the list a “mistake.”
Abdullah called on the organization to rectify the issue.
The NSIA, however, claimed that its decision was made at the request of the people.
“This decision was made as per the request of a number of tribal elders and the interpretation of the third part of Article 4 of the Constitution,” said Roeina Shahabi, the spokesperson for the NSIA.
Shahabi stated: “According to the statement (tribal elders) requested through various official sources the inclusion of their tribes in the electronic ID card, which was not clearly mentioned in the Constitution.”
Article 4 of the Constitution reads: National sovereignty in Afghanistan shall belong to the nation, manifested directly and through its elected representatives. The nation of Afghanistan is composed of all individuals who possess citizenship of Afghanistan.
The nation of Afghanistan shall be comprised of Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkman, Baluch, Pachaie, Nuristani, Aymaq, Arab, Qirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujur, Brahwui, and other tribes.
The word Afghan shall apply to every citizen of Afghanistan. No individual of the nation of Afghanistan shall be deprived of citizenship. Citizenship and asylum-related matters shall be regulated by law.
The Japanese Embassy in Afghanistan announced Thursday it will provide emergency relief to flood-hit people in northern Afghanistan.
According to a statement issued by the embassy, relief will be provided through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS).
This relief includes tents, blankets and other essential items.
According to the statement, “Japan has decided to provide emergency assistance to Afghanistan to support people affected by the flood. We will always stand by the people of Afghanistan.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has meanwhile reported that 8,975 homes were destroyed or damaged by floods in Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Takhar provinces following heavy rains.
Russia also pledged help if needed, while the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) appealed to Islamic countries and aid organizations to step in to help the flood victims.
Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov held talks with India’s external affairs minister JP Singh to discuss the situation in the country.
Kabulov met with Singh during a visit to India.
In a post on X, India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “India and Russia held bilateral consultations on Afghanistan today in New Delhi.
“Amb. Zamir Kabulov, Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, and JP Singh, Joint Secretary (PAI) discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and emphasized on the need to provide development assistance for the welfare of the Afghan people,” he said.
An official at the Russian embassy said Kabulov held talks with Singh under the framework of India-Russia foreign ministerial consultations on Afghanistan.
New Delhi has been pitching for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the humanitarian crisis in the country.
In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a technical team in its embassy in the Afghan capital.
The Islamic Emirate says that due to the diplomatic efforts of the IEA, a good spirit of cooperation has been formed in the region towards Afghanistan, and the countries have understood that stable security and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of all countries.
Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, has invited political deputy prime minister Mawlavi Abdul Kabir to participate in the upcoming Trans-Himalayan Forum meeting.
The Chinese envoy said at a meeting Wednesday with Kabir that Beijing supports the Islamic Emirate in terms of attending international meetings, especially UN Security Council meetings.
Zhao also said China was committed to cooperating with the Islamic Emirate.
Kabir in turn expressed his gratitude for China’s support and cooperation across numerous sectors and said that as a responsible government, the Islamic Emirate is bound by commitments made and tries to play an active role in regional issues and the stability and development of the region.
Kabir also acknowledged China’s support of the Islamic Emirate and said Beijing’s cooperation can bring about positive changes and economic growth in the country.
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