Mixed Reactions in Parliament Over NSIA’s Ethnic Categories
Reactions from public figures and members of Afghanistan’s parliament continue to grow following a decision by the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) to add 54 new ethnic designations to the already existing 14 ethnic groups used on the electronic national identity cards.
On Wednesday, lawmakers in the country’s top legislative body said that the government’s move at this time is a coordinated conspiracy to diminish certain ethnicities, and they warned that such a move will have serious implications for the country.
The lawmakers also said that the move by the NSIA will incite ethnic tensions.
MPs React to Rahmani Remarks on Interim Setup
The Wolesi Jirga Speaker Mir Rahmani’s remarks on an interim government plan stoked debate in Monday’s session as some MPs said such a plan is against the law and that the Republic must be maintained.
Addressing an event on Sunday, Rahmani said he has found access to the draft of an interim setup and he welcomes it, but he added that the plan needs to be comprehensive.
“The plan, which is said to have been prepared by the United States and the Taliban for establishing an interim government or a proposed peace, has reached us,” the parliament speaker said. “We welcome it because it has mentioned staying with the current system and the national assembly, but it has many problems that need discussion.”
Pakistan to back intra-Afghan talks’ outcome: SAPM
Dr Moeed Yusuf says ‘our region has been misused by global powers for long’
Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security and Strategic Policy Planning Dr Moeed Yousuf. PHOTO COURTESY: USIP
Pakistan has assured a visiting Afghan delegation that Islamabad would support whatever governance set-up emerged in the aftermath of the intra-Afghan dialogue currently under way between the Taliban and the government in Kabul in the Qatari capital.
Dr Moeed Yusuf, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security, suggested that the Track-II process between Pakistan and Afghanistan should complement Track-I process and assist it by providing the government with targeted policy proposals.
Islamabad
December 23, 2020
Islamabad : There is certainly a positive trajectory with regards to Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations. In the last few months, both sides have achieved significant progress, though there is a lot still to be done. For the first time, the parliaments on both sides are playing a very active role in addressing issues of mutual interest. Complex issues accumulating over years would take some time for resolution, said Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.
He was speaking to the 7th Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Committee (PAJC) meeting, spearheaded by Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) and Organisation for Economic Studies and Peace (OESP).