The Child Protection Act was approved by the Wolesi Jirga, the Lower House of the Afghan parliament, on December 9, but some MPs oppose the final ratification of the law because of its specification of children as “under 18,” calling this a contravention of Islamic law.

The Ministry of Justice said the legal document has been shared with different institutions who might have insight into the law.

The law has 16 chapters and 118 articles.

In this program host Karim Amini and guests discuss the reasons for the fierce controversy behind the Child Protection Act, and the logic behind some lawmakers’ opposition to the bill.

Panelists: 

•    Ghulam Husain Naseri, an MP who is in favor of the approval 

•    Mohammad Ashraf Azimi, deputy head of the legislation department of the Ministry of Justice

•    Qazi Nazir Ahmad Hanafi, an MP who opposes the approval of the bill

•    Mawlawi Atiqullah, an MP who opposes the approval of the bill

•    Fawzia Kofi, head of Mawj-e-Tahawol-e-Afghanistan, a Kabul-based party, and former MP

•    Najibullah Akhlaqi, head of children’s rights protection at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs