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Nazifa Haqpal

The Expert is a former Afghan diplomat and PhD Candidate in law at SOAS University of London and have extensive knowledge from her PhD research and Country of Origin reports and documents assessment. She specialises on human rights, Islamic and customary laws, and gender related issues with a specific focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan. She is also an Associate member in the Practicing Category as a Country of Origin Expert with the Academy of Experts.

Name
Nazifa Haqpal
Occupation
Independent Researcher and Country of Origin Expert
Expertise

As a former Afghan diplomat and PhD Candidate, the Expert has comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Afghanistan and Pakistan history, political and socio-culture issues as she exposed to Afghanistan and Pakistan culture and languages dialect from her childhood to adulthood. In addition to her in depth knowledge of Afghanistan where she studied her university in law and political science, worked with national and international NGOs and Afghan government. She has also strong knowledge of Pakistan as she acquired her primary and high school education, where she got first-hand experience of issues related  to Pakistan. Throughout her professional career as well she closely studied and researched the role of Islam in socio-culture and  political landscape of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Experience

The Expert has experience in providing Country of Origin reports and analyses, she also provides documents authentication reports on various legal proceedings for clients in the UK and Europe. She is mostly instructed in following cases:

  • Afghanistan legal and judicial system
  • Socio-culture norms
  • Tribal dynamic
  • Jirga Decisions (informal justice and Taliban courts) including Pashtunwali
  • Blood Feuds
  • Internal Relocation including Risk on return
  • Disputed nationality cases and expert of distinguishing  Pashto and Dari dialects from other spoken languages of Iran and Pakistan,
  • Education and legal document (Tazkira, marriage certificate and other legal documents) verification and authentication
  • Fact-finding matters conducted in Afghanistan
  • Human Rights, including women
  • Ethnic and religious minorities rights
  • LGBTQ Issues
  • Family law, forced marriages, Islamic marriages, divorce, alimony, custody of children including 
  • Domestic and gender-based violence including sexual assault, honour killing and rape cases
  • Language Assessment for Determining Origin
  • Linguistic Reports
  • Health and Social facilities and services
  • Mental Health including PTSD
  • Prison conditions assessment
  • Documents translation matters
Publications
  • The Impact of Legal Pluralism on the Role and Status of Afghanistan’s Judiciary (2001-2020)
  • How an Unbiased and Well-functioning Justice System can Promote Peace in Afghanistan?
  • Afghanistan’s Contemporary Foreign policy and Cultural Diplomacy: Engaging Diaspora Community
  • Securing Human Rights of Women through Legal Reform: A Case Study of Violence against women initiatives in Post-2001 Afghanistan
  • written and published article on Afghan women’s role in peace negotiation in BBC Pashto

Conferences:

  • Speaker of “Women, Violence and Law in Afghanistan: Legal Reform and Continues in times of armed conflict and liberal ‘peacebuilding (2001-2021)” – Centre for Colonialism, Empire and International Law, SOAS University of London
  • Speaker of “Feminist Leadership in Disarmament” Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS University of London


  • Speaker in a Webinar “The Future of Women, Peace, and Security in Afghanistan”,  LSE (London School of Economics)  WPS (Women Peace and Security) Centre
  • Speaker of  “ Prospect for Women’s/Human Rights under the Taliban”,  The Democracy Forum hosted by President Lord Bruce
  • Speaker in a webinar  “Afghanistan: Civilians, Refugees & Security” hosted by UK Houses of Parliament
Languages
Pashto Afghani and Pakistani dialect
Farsi/Dari Afghani and Farsi Irani dialect
English
Arabic
Ethnic groups expertise
Hazara community, other minor ethnic and religious community and LGBTQ plus communities, Pashtunwali, tribal dynamic
Political groups expertise
Rights and leftist political party issues; Mujahedin political parties, Hizbe Islami, Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan), Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Tahreek-e- Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League
Religious groups expertise
Shia and Sunni sensitive issues, Hindu and Sikh communities.
Fees
[Private to EIN members]
Contact email
Phone
[Private to EIN members]
Address
[Private to EIN members]