KUNDUZ - After passing a professional legal services exam, 20 young lawyers were introduced to the community in the northeastern Kunduz Province last week.

The young lawyers, who make the first such group to have passed the test in Afghanistan’s northeast, received lawyers license amidst a ceremony, and started advocacy for their clients in the northeastern provinces of Kunduz, Takhar and Badakshan.

According to Muhammad Arif Mubashir, the Regional Manager of Afghanistan Independent Bar Association (AIBA), prior to the graduation of the 20 lawyers, there were only two defense attorneys in Kunduz province making rounds to six districts of the province providing legal services to their clients.

“Now we can task two lawyers for each district of the province,” said the AIBA manager. “Still our people in the districts don’t have access to the legal services and they are not familiar with the culture of defense law. Legal service is not a project to end by foreign military withdrawal in 2014, but it is a process and our people really need it.”

The Governor of Kunduz, Muhammad Anwar Jegdalak, said that legal service is “very vital” for enforcement of the law and justice. “We are lucky that after Kabul, Kunduz is the only province where public trials are held and the number of the lawyers is increasing,” said the Kunduz Governor.

Lawyer Sayed Mahmood Danush, speaking on behalf of the introduced defense attorneys, thanked AIBA for its efforts and cooperation for promotion of the legal services in the region. “It is our pleasure to start advocacy for our clients and serve our people, thanks to AIBA for making the opportunity available for us,” he said.

By UNAMA Kunduz