Paper ID cards being issued to Paktika residents

SHARANA (Pajhwok): The authorities in southeastern Paktika province on Monday launched issuance of paper national identity cards to residents of 18 districts, amid an ongoing nationwide voter’s registration process.

Half of Paktika’s population is said to be without paper identity cards locally called Tazkira.

Deputy governor Attaulah Fazli told Pajhwok Afghan News the paper national identity cards were being issued to those who had not taken one in the past.

He said people could vote in the Oct. 20 Wolesi Jirga and district council elections if they possessed the old paper Tazkira therefore and that was why the card’s distribution process was launched in the province.

Meanwhile, Noor Mohammad, a resident of Sharana, the provincial capital, said it was good news that paper ID cards were being issued to people ahead of the elections and amid an ongoing voter’s registration drive.

However, he feared many people might miss obtaining ID cards and registration to vote in the absence of awareness campaign.

According to Mohammad, Paktika’s population is 1.2 million people and half of them (0.6 million) don’t have Tazkiraz so far.

“Our population is counted based individuals who have national identify cards and but in many areas people don’t have these cards.”

On the other hand, Paktika population department head Mohammad Anwar said they had appointed a number of contract employees to distribute Tazkiras.

About public awareness, he said they had signed an agreement with the Hajj and Religious Affairs Ministry on training some Islamic scholars and other people about the process

pk/ma