Saturday July 20, 2019
Kabul (BNA) President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a decree, appointed new head and members of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), a statement said on Thursday.
The statement from the Presidential Palace said, President Ghani appointed Shahrzad Akbar as head of AIHRC, Asadullah Yousufi, Benafsha Yaqubi, Mohammad Ayub Yousufzai, Sayed Ehsan Khaliq, Shabnam Salehi, Shukrullah Mashkoor, Mohammad Naim Nazari and Razia Sayad as members of the commission through separate decrees. President Ghani also appointed Sima Samar, former AIHRC head, as his special representative and state minister on human rights issues and international relations. President Ghani awarded Samar with the state medal of Allama Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan in recognition of her services. The appointments were introduced at a special ceremony held at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday afternoon. President Ghani, talking in the ceremony, said, “Today is the day of pride, an institution that passed different phases in 18 years has now reached a new level.” He thanked Sima Samar for her services and said, “I am sure she would also serve in her new job very well considering our national interests.” Addressing the new AIHRC head and members, the president said national values and the Constitution, particularly its second chapter that contains basic rights and people’s responsibilities, had been prepared in accordance with international conventions and should be conveyed to the people and considered import things. “Reaffirming our commitment to the nation, the constitution, national and Islamic values is the responsibility of all of us”, he said. Sima Samar, talking to the ceremony, said, “I feel pride to be the first to take responsibility of the AIHRC which is now a role model in the region and the world.” She thanked her colleagues in the commission, media and countries that supported AIHRC in protection of human rights. “We want the government protect the achievements of the commission and even extend them, the new AIHRC leadership should work for the people and remove discrimination and injustice,” she said.
