KABUL (SW): President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has issued a decree calling for changes in the leadership of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).
Documents obtained by Salam Watandar indicate, the decree has been issued taking into consideration the Article 58 of the Constitution and Article 11 of the Law of Organization, the Resolution No. 134 of the United Nations General Assembly adopted on 20 December 1993 and in accordance to the authorities and duties of the AIHRC.
The decree has stressed upon forming a seven-member committee of civil society organizations, human rights activists, and lawyers’ associations to ensure transparency and inclusiveness in the election of new AIHRC leadership. The committee would propose 27 shortlisted candidates to the president out of which the president can select the final 9, including 4 women.
The decree has also underlined the importance of upholding ethnic and gender balance as well as considerable experience of the new proposed leadership at the AIHRC.
Bilal Siddiqi, spokesman for the AIHRC, informed Salam Watandar the tenure of current AIHRC leadership would expire later this month. He said, in line with the principles, AIHRC would also introduce proposed replacements to the president soon.
The current leadership of AIHRC under chairperson Sima Samar – who has been heading this body for the past 14 years now – has been harshly criticised over alleged nepotism and discrimination towards others ethnic groups in the country. Media reports suggest out of 450 AIHRC workers, 280 hail from Samar’s Hazara ethnic group in her hometown of Jaghuri in Ghazni province, and are family relatives to her.
ENDS
