More women applying for NICs than men in Kunar

ASADABAD (Pajhwok): Population registration office of eastern Kunar province on Saturday said the number of women applying for National Identity Cards (NICs) was higher compared to men.

Fazal Khaliq, head of Kunar population registration office, told Pajhwok Afghan News 51,000 people including 27,000 of them women had got their ID cards in the province last solar year (1396).

He said ID cards were issued in the provincial capital and district centers and dozens of women and men were referring to these centers on daily basis.

Most of the people getting ID cards are those who recently returned from Pakistan, Khaliq said.

He added that the upcoming elections were based on ID cards therefore they plan to hire 99 more officers for ID cards issuance process.

New officers participated in the exam and two more ID cards issuance centers would be activated in the provincial capital and two each in district centers in the near future, he said.

The number of women taking ID cards would likely increase with activation of more centers because no one oppose women’s ID cards in the entire province, Khaliq said.

Marwa, a student of Bibi Fatima High School in Asadabad, the provincial capital, said she took her ID card eight years ago and she planned to cast her vote in next elections.

She asked all women of Kunar to take ID cards and cast their votes for their favorite candidate in future elections.

Sahla Babar, Kunar women affairs director, said that they talked with tribal elders and Islamic scholars about the importance of ID cards.

She said no one in the province opposed women who get ID cards and a public awareness program launched in the regard was very effective.

Organs concerned have provided further facilities for issuing ID cards to women, so more women would get this important card in the future, she concluded.

mds