The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on Saturday said the ministry will finalize a bill on the prohibition of discrimination in government institutions in the near future.

The Ministry of Justice's spokesman, Aman Riazat, said that a draft bill is being worked on by the ministry and once finalized and implemented issues of discrimination in state institutions will be addressed.

However members of the public and MPs welcomed the move but slammed government for what they said was discriminatory practices by government officials - especially in the recruitment process.

“Discriminatory thoughts did not work, eliminating an ethnic group did not work, insulting other zones and provinces also will not work in Afghanistan,” said Nahid Farid a parliament member.

These claims appear to have initiated government's plan to stamp out the problem.

“A draft bill is being worked on by the justice ministry and it is almost finalized. Soon it will be sent to the law committee of the government. This bill has banned all discrimination that happens in government institutions in the recruitment process and in the work environment,” said Riazat.

The impending regulation has also been welcomed by members of the Meshrano Jirga (Upper House of Parliament). According to one senator, Asif Siddiqi the house proposed such a bill two years ago. 

“This is a contagious disease everywhere in Afghanistan and we should eliminate it. Unfortunately this is being provoked by some of the politicians and by those who take projects from foreign countries,” said Siddiqi.

Meanwhile, issues around ethnicities were also raised by MPs. 

“In parliament, the national issues and the issues that benefit the people and the words that promote solidarity should be discussed,” said Mohammad Nazir Ahmadzai, second deputy speaker of parliament.

“We should not make comments that cause ethnic division,” said Haidar Khan Naimzai a parliament member.

In recent months, the government has come under sharp criticism over alleged ethnic discrimination. Two incidents caused a major outcry - one when an "ethnicity plan" in the president's administration office was leaked and the second when a document from the Ministry of Interior came to light about the recruitment of all ethnicities, except Tajiks, to a new anti-riot unit.