Changes to Population Registration Act drafted

KABUL’s interior security commission would present before the lower house a set of amendments to some articles of the controversial Population Registration Act on Wednesday.

After being approved by the assembly, the Population Registration Bill was signed into law by President Ashraf Ghani amid objections by some lawmakers, civil society groups and political parties over not mentioning word “Afghan” in the Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs).

As the protests continued, the president referred the issue to the Supreme Court, but the apex court is yet to deliver a ruling in this regard.

The issue of bringing amendments to the law became a hot topic in the lower house after some members proposed changes to the law’s article three and six. The MPs insisted words “Afghan” and “tribe” should be mentioned in the ID cards.

Wolesi Jirga deputy secretary Irfanullah Irfan told Pajhwok Afghan News the interior security commission had been tasked with introducing amendments to the law in line with the house’s decision.

However, he said the commission was yet to inform the house administration board about the proposed amendments.

But a member of the panel, Shakiba Hashmi, said the draft amendments had been prepared and would be presented before the assembly for a decision on Wednesday.

“Our commission has decided that only the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan should be written in the ID cards and there is no need to mention words Afghan and tribes,” she said.

She said only the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan should be written in ID cards because other information about their holders was saved in the supporting database.

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