95% women in Paktika sans Tazkera

SHARAN (Pajhwok): Ninety-five percent women and 30 percent men have not obtained National Identity Cards (NICs) — also known Tazkera — in southeastern Paktika province, government officials said and termed it a huge problem.

Momin Khan Kamal, a tribal elder, told Pajhwok Afghan News those women who had been to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, went on foreign trip or needed NIC for any other purpose possessed the NICs.

“These women don’t makes even one percent thus we can say that most of women in Paktiaka sans NICs,” he said.

Kamal said cultural restraints remained a hurdle in Paktika and most families did not want to get NIC for their female family members. In most areas the NICs have been considered shame for women, he added.

He says there is a district in Paktika where even men have no NIC. “These are remote districts where the Taliban have been ruling and people never felt the need to obtained NICs,” he said.

Bibi Amina, the resident of Deganan village of Sharan, the provincial capital, said: “Men considered NIC only their right and women also did not show interest to get Tazkera because other women would lambast them.” She asked the government to press men to get NIC for their female family members.

Zainab, the resident of Mashkhelo village in Yousufkhel district, said this was a fact the families deny NICs for women so the government should force men to get NICs for their women.

She added like the issue of Tazkera where women had been deprived, men have full authority in other affairs and were the sole decision makers.

Naimatullah Babari, the Provincial Council (PC) member,  said if the government did not provide proper environment and facilities for the distribution of NICs, most women in Paktiaka would not be able to take part in future decision making events.

He said insecurity, lack of attention by families, cultural restraints, lack of government attention and particularly the non-availability of NIC distribution officers in some districts were the main reasons that halt the distribution of Tazkera to women and men.

Anwar Katawazi, head of the Population Registration Department in Paktika, said 95 percent women and 30 percent men have not yet obtained their Tazkeras.

He said: “Paktika women have been facing multiple issues while trying to get Tazkera. Khoshamand is a district where no women applied for Tazkera in the past five years and only those women apply for Tazker who needed it for emergency purpose.

In addition, he said in insecurity districts such as Omna, Gomal, Gayan, Zerok, Khosaman, Wazekhwa and Wrmamai districts over 30 percent men have not obtained their Tazkeras.

He added in most districts offices for Tazkera distribution had been opened while in some place the fatality could not be provided due to the lack of place.

Political Affairs Expert Mohammad Hassan Haqyar said Tazkera was prove for nationality and those who don’t want to get Tazkera in face deny his/her nationality.

He said most daily affairs of the life were connected with Tazkera and if someone refuse to get Tazkera they would be deprived of many basic right.

Haqyar said without Tazkera individuals could not get passport, they could not process their documents and could, go to Hajj or Umra.

It is pertinent to mention that besides Paktiaka, people in the remote areas of the country deprived from obtaining Tazkera.

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