KABUL (SW): Haroon Motarif, head of the ‘Defense of Law Movement’ (DLM), has opposed the amendment in the Population Census Law which has paved the way for rolling-out the biometric identity cards in the country.
On Thursday, the cabinet approved an amendment to the Article 6 of the Population Census Law. President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani also issued a decree in this regard. It called for incorporating both the nationality as well as the ethnicity of the holder on the face of the new biometric cards. The landmark development came months after the issue remained in limbo.
Meanwhile, the ‘Defense of Law Movement’ has raised its objections towards it. Motarif told a presser that the President has amended this Law being put ‘under pressure by some mean individuals’. He said ‘negative words’ should not be printed on the new identity cards as it could cause division among the masses.
He warned a nation-wide protest campaign would be launched if the government failed to reverse its course in this regard.
Meanwhile, Shah Husain Murtazvi, deputy spokesman for the President, has defended the move. He told Salam Watandar social and political consensus is there to back the amendment.
ENDS
