In a week, Nangarhar office issues over 3,000 e-ID cards

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): More than 3,000 people including women received their electronic national identity cards (e-ID cards) in eastern Nangarhar province in the past one week, officials say.

After Kabul and Herat provinces, the center for distribution of e-ID cards was opened in Nangarhar province 10 days ago -- a move welcomed by local people.

On the other hand, residents of neighboring Kunar, Laghman and Nuristan provinces say they travel to Nangarhar to obtain e-ID cards and the service should be activated in their own provinces.

Mudir Tariq, head of the e-ID cards distribution center in Nangarhar, said they distributed more than 3,000 e-ID cards in Nangarhar during the first week of the center’s opening.

“Checking applicants’ documents takes some days, if we find no problem in one’s documents, we invite him or her to pass other processes such as biometric. After all the processes are completed in the province, we send documents to Kabul for issuing e-ID cards, a process that takes a week,” he said.

The residents say are happy with the process but demand more e-ID cards distribution centers.

They say the center in Nangarhar was opened on zonal level while residents of Kunar, Laghman and Nuristan could hardly access it.

Subhanallah, who arrived from Kunar province, told Pajhwok Afghan News that first they obtain a form from the e-ID card center in Jalalabad and then travel back to their province to take guarantee of local people and prepare other documents.

Then he traveled back to the centre to submit his documents and wait for some days and return again for taking his ID card -- a long and problematic process, he said.

Subhanallah said it would be somehow helpful if at least forms distribution was started in every province and only the finalization process was done at the central office.

On the other hand, Nangarhar residents are happy over the launch of e-ID cards distribution process in their province.

Abdul Waris, a resident of Nangarhar, said, “It is our national identity and pride, I want all Afghans to take their e-ID cards.”

However, Ahmad Javid, general head of Population Registration Department (PRD), said the e-ID card center was only opened for Nangarhar people but residents of Kunar and Laghman also could use that.

He said similar centers would be opened in other eastern provinces later. These centers would be opened in all provinces of the country over time, he added.

Mds/ma