HAZARAS AND AFGHAN GOVERNMENT

Despite enjoying immense economic, political and military support of global community, Afghan government did not invest or pay attention to Hazara inhabitant places and provinces after 2001. Almost all public protests and demonstrations of Hazaras during Hamid Karzai and now Mohammad Ashraf Ghani have been to asking Afghan government for ending systematic discrimination and overt negligence against Hazara people. Public services, national budget allocation, administrative reform (for better public service delivery), judicial and most importantly security services are those basic rights of every citizen which the Hazara people have been mostly deprived. Those non-negotiable topics are the demands which Hazaras have been always struggling to reach. In some recent studies, parts of the problem have been addressed.

“.. they [ Hazaras] are therefore less likely than members of other ethnicities (Pashtuns in particular) to be in positions whereby they are able to positively discriminate in favour of other Hazaras. In particular, Hazaras tend to be under-represented in senior civil service positions.90”

According to many sources, Hazaras are still treated as “second-class citizens”, being denied basic services and political rights for years91. Those who have field observation and close interaction with Afghan politics and society certainly approve such unpleasant reality in Afghanistan. Discrimination is deep-rooted and some high officials are deeply involved. A big discrimination related scandal which a high ranking staff from Afghan president office was involved in was disclosed by the Media. Despite its sensitivity and promise for just due process, the government disregarded it soon after that92.

Despite alerting security condition for Hazaras, while the Afghan government has not offered any functional policy yet. The recent report of amnesty international indicates that the Hazara and Shi’a continued to face harassment and increased attacks, mainly by armed insurgent groups93. Out of the whole population, while the Taliban’s orchestrated attacks are mostly focused on Hazara inhabitant areas, it had to provoke Afghan government to react in positive way. The below is one of such alert:

“The

90Hazaras in Afghanistan, DFAT thematic report (Sep, 2018), p9. 91http://www.southasiaathudson.org/blog/2016/9/2/the-discrimination-and-violence-against-the-hazaras-in-afghanistan (Retrieved on 20thDec, 2018)

92https://8am.af/x8am/1396/09/21/the-cavalry-the-secret-that-was-lost-and-forgotten/ (Retrieved on 20thDec, 201