KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Some more than 100 people through a demonstration in southern Kandahar province on Sunday demanded the inclusion of words “Afghan and Islam” in the computerised Identity (ID) cards.
The protesters, who first gathered at the Ahmad Shahi Stadium later rallied to push for their demand. Provincial council members, civil society activists, tribal elders and common people took part in the rally.
The council members and elders in their speeches stressed Afghan and Islam should be mentioned in the biometric ID cards because it was a national demand.
Lali Hamidzai, a lawmaker from Kandahar, said countrywide protests were underway in favor of Afghan and Islam words.
He said the government should respond to the public demand and should not remain silent anymore. He asked the officials concerned to resolve the issue and come up with a positive answer to the protesting people.
Former Senator Bismillah Afghanmal expressed held similar views, saying the inclusion of words Afghan and Islam was in line with the Constitution. 
Earlier, similar protests have been carried out in Kabul, Nangarhar, Kunar, Balkh, Paktika and some other provinces, in which hundreds and thousands of people have taken part.
The launch of a test ID cards distribution drive was put on hold by President Ashraf Ghani amid differences with the Chief Executive Office over some unsettled issues.
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology spokesman Nusrat Rahimi had said the president wanted to settle the unsettled issues linked to the new ID cards before launching the process.
Earlier, the CEO’s office had said the distribution of computerised national identity cards would begin in two weeks.
The cards issuance was earlier scheduled to begin before last year’s presidential election, but it had to be delayed for some reasons.
The distribution drive is a joint venture of the ministries of interior and telecommunications and information technology. A contract for the project was signed five years ago.
nh/ma