KABUL: The introduction of electronic ID cards by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has angered the country’s Chief Executive, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, who has warned the move could lead to new crises as the Taliban intensifies its attacks.
Ghani announced the official distribution of ID cards — known as the e-Tezkera — in a ceremony on Thursday at his heavily fortified presidential palace.
“Economic development planning, providing services and good governance is impossible without having accurate and complete information about citizens,” said Ghani.
He said the new electronic ID cards would help improve the security situation in the country.
Ghani received his new ID card at the launch. “Tezkera will help (strengthen) security in the country,” he said.
Electronic ID cards were due to be issued three years ago, but the process was delayed because of political disagreeements.
In a press conference at his office, Abdullah said the decision-making process that led to the new IDs lacked legitimacy and would create further problems in the country.
“I am not against electronic ID cards, but this is not the time because there are disagreements among the people over the cards,” he said.
Abdullah said he had refused to take part in the distribution of the cards “because I know this process has not received the required legitimacy and support from the Afghan people.
“It is a one-sided decision that has not been approved by all the stakeholders and could lead to more problems,” he said.
Abdullah urged the government to confront more serious challenges, such as drought and the war against militants. According to foreign media reports, extremists now control more of the country than at any time since the ousting of the Taliban regime in 2001.
The latest dispute between the two leaders reveal a deepening rift in the government as the country gears up for long-delayed parliamentary elections in October and the presidential polls in 2019.
Ghani and Abdullah had agreed to a power-sharing arrangement mediated by the US after claims that the country’s 2014 elections were rigged. The two leaders have been at loggerheads over major policy measures since.
The National Unity Government (NUG) planned to introduce ID cards to stop fraudulent voting.
However, political disagreements halted the plan. The NUG also failed to hold parliamentary elections set for spring 2015.
The main dispute over the new e-cards involves use of the term “Afghan” to denote nationality. Previous paper ID cards used the term as a denomination for all ethnic groups in the country.
However, the Pashtuns, the traditional rulers of Afghanistan, want the ethnicity of the card holder to be specified from 14 other groups.
Non-Pashtun groups, especially the Tajiks, oppose the idea, claiming it would give Pashtun ethnicity national status.
Launch of electronic ID cards in Afghanistan intensifies Ghani-Abdullah feud
Launch of electronic ID cards in Afghanistan intensifies Ghani-Abdullah feud
- Afghan Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah has warned electronic ID cards announced by President Ashraf Ghani could lead to “more problems” in the country.
- The ID card, or e-Tezkera, has angered some Afghan lawmakers with its use of ethnic categories.
Baby found dead in stricken migrant boat heading for Italy
SOS Humanity workers aboard its “Humanity 1” vessel found many of the migrants exhausted
LAMPEDUSA, Italy: The body of a five-month-old baby was found on Tuesday when some 85 migrants heading for Italy from Tunisia were rescued from distress at sea, according to a Reuters witness.
The infant girl, her mother and 4-year-old sister were in an unseaworthy boat laden with migrants that had set off from Sfax in Tunisia two days earlier bound for Italy, according to charity group SOS Humanity.
SOS Humanity workers aboard its “Humanity 1” vessel found many of the migrants exhausted and suffering from seasickness and fuel burns as they were rescued before dawn on Tuesday, the group said in a statement.
Some 185 migrants rescued in separate operations this week, including the stricken boat overnight, were being taken aboard “Humanity 1” to the port of Livorno in northwest Italy. Another 120 migrants were transferred by coast guard boat to the Italian island of Lampedusa in the southern Mediterranean.
Tunisia is grappling with a migrant crisis and has replaced Libya as the main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict further south in Africa as well as the Middle East in hopes of a better life in Europe.
Italy has sought to curb migrant arrivals from Africa, making it harder charity ships to operate in the Mediterranean, limiting the number of rescues they can carry out and often forcing them to make huge detours to bring migrants ashore.
Putin says Ukraine should hold presidential election
- Zelensky has not faced an election despite the expiry of his term
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday Ukraine should hold a presidential election following the expiry of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-year term.
Zelensky has not faced an election despite the expiry of his term, something he and Kyiv’s allies deem the right decision in wartime. Putin said the only legitimate authority in Ukraine now was parliament, and that its head should be given power.
US cautions UK against censuring Iran over nuclear program: Report
- Britain, France expected to condemn Tehran in resolution at IAEA meeting
- Washington seeking to avoid Mideast escalation amid simmering tensions
LONDON: The US has warned the UK against condemning Iran’s nuclear program at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency next week, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Amid simmering tensions in the Middle East and a US presidential election in November, Washington is reportedly seeking to avoid a regional escalation.
At an IAEA board of governors’ meeting next week, the UK and France are expected to deliver a censuring resolution against Iran over its nuclear program.
But the US is said to have warned other countries to abstain from the resolution, which was drafted over growing frustration with Tehran’s defiance of the IAEA.
Officials in the US have denied lobbying against the British and French move.
As well as electoral concerns, the White House also fears that Iran may be prone to instability following last month’s exchange of strikes with Israel, and the death of the country’s president and foreign minister in a helicopter crash.
UK officials believe that Iran’s nuclear program is as advanced as ever and are “deeply concerned” about escalation, the Daily Telegraph reported.
From June 3-7, the 35-member IAEA board of governors will gather for a quarterly meeting.
Iran is believed to have been enriching uranium to 60 percent purity for three years, following Washington’s axing of the nuclear deal under former President Donald Trump.
Tehran has maintained that it seeks to use the uranium for a civil nuclear program. But the IAEA has warned that no country has enriched to 60 percent purity without later developing nuclear weapons.
Last week, a senior European diplomat described Iranian nuclear violations as “unprecedented” in comments to Reuters.
“There is no slowing down of its programme and there is no real goodwill by Iran to cooperate with the IAEA,” the diplomat said. “All our indicators are flashing red.”
Danish parliament rejects proposal to recognize Palestinian state
- The Danish bill was first proposed in late February by four left-wing parties
- “We cannot recognize an independent Palestinian state, for the sole reason that the preconditions are not really there,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said
COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s parliament on Tuesday voted down a bill to recognize a Palestinian state, after the Danish foreign minister previously said the necessary preconditions for an independent country were lacking.
Ireland, Spain and Norway on Tuesday formally recognized a Palestinian state, after their announcement last week that they would do so angered Israel which called the move a “reward for terrorism” and recalled its ambassadors.
The Danish bill was first proposed in late February by four left-wing parties.
“We cannot recognize an independent Palestinian state, for the sole reason that the preconditions are not really there,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said when the bill was first debated in parliament in April.
“We cannot support this resolution, but we wish that there will come a day where we can,” Rasmussen, who was not present at the vote on Tuesday, added.
Denmark has, following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that triggered Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, said that Israel has a right to defend itself, but has more recently urged the country to show restraint and maintained it must respect international law.
Dublin, Madrid and Oslo have painted their decision as a move aimed at accelerating efforts to secure a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, and have urged other countries to follow suit.
Growing number of Indian women perform Hajj without male guardians
- More than 4,600 pilgrims registered in the ‘without mahram’ category
- Most of them are from the southern state of Kerala
NEW DELHI: The number of Indian women going on Hajj without a male guardian has increased by nearly 20 percent since last year, the Haj Committee of India said on Tuesday.
With more than 200 million Indians following Islam, the Hindu-majority country has the world’s largest Muslim-minority population. Under the 2023 Hajj quota, 175,000 of them are traveling to Saudi Arabia this year for the spiritual journey that constitutes one of the five pillars of Islam.
The pilgrim breakdown is 51 percent male and 49 percent female, according to Haj Committee of India data, which also shows that the number of female pilgrims is on the rise, especially those traveling on their own.
Saudi Arabia last year lifted a rule that required female pilgrims to be accompanied by a mahram, or male guardian. India tweaked its Hajj policy accordingly in February 2023, and sent 4,000 pilgrims registered in the category for women traveling without a guardian.
“This time 4,665 women are going without mahram, and it was around 4,000 last year,” Haj Committee of India chairman A.P. Abdullakkutty told Arab News.
“It is heartening to see the growing number of female pilgrims every year. This signifies growing female empowerment among Muslim women and their growing confidence. Women are asserting their independence more than before.”
Most of the women traveling alone come from the southern state of Kerala, where Muslims constitute about 27 percent of the population, and Islam is the second-largest religion after Hinduism.
“Out of the 4,665 women going without mahram this time 3,000 are from Kerala,” Abdullakkutty said.
“The reason more women are going from Kerala is because the imams are more encouraging.”
This year, Hajj is expected to begin on June 14 and end on June 19. While the pilgrimage can be performed over five or six days, many pilgrims choose to arrive early for what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfill their religious duty.
Hajj flights for Indian pilgrims started on May 9.
At least two of the flights will be run only by women and carry only female pilgrims. Both are Jeddah-bound and scheduled to depart from Kerala’s Kochi International Airport.
