(Last Updated On: March 14, 2021)
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.”