I originate from Afghanistan and am British citizen. I take instructions on country conditions for Afghanistan, linguistic analysis for the determination of origin for individuals with a claim to be from Afghanistan. I also verify the authenticity of documents from Afghanistan.
I am multilingual and multiliterate, and hold an M.A. in Applied Linguistics and Communication from Birkbeck, University of London. I also hold a Graduate Certificate in Linguistics from Birkbeck, University of London and a Diploma in Language and Law from NCC College. I hold a Certificate in Law from the City, University of London.
I have circa 27 years of experience dealing with legal cases from Afghanistan as an interpreter and translator. This gives me a better chance of understanding various issues in the expert reports I prepared. I have 2 years’ experience as an expert for Afghanistan in: country conditions, linguistics, and document verification.
I am literate and conversant in Dari, English, Farsi, Russian, Pashto, Kabuli Punjabi, and Urdu.
I cover the following issues:
- Access to medical and mental health services
- Adult Dependent Relative matters
- Bacha Bazi
- Conversion to Christianity, apostasy, blasphemy, Sikhism, Hinduism, Shi’ism (related to Afghanistan only)
- Political groups and extremism
- Education related matters (madrassa, primary, secondary, university)
- Human Rights conditions
- Laws of Afghanistan
- LGBTQI+
- Matrimonial issues (alimony, child care, divorce, dowry)
- Pashtunwali/Pakhunwali issues
- Punishments by the insurgent groups and governments
- Political persecution
- Police protection
- Prison conditions
- Security conditions
- Taliban government
- Torture, inhumane and degrading treatment
- Women’s issues and gender-based violence
- Religious persecution
I have over 2 years’ experience as an expert for Afghanistan. I have prepared more than 50 expert reports pertaining to issues of dialect determination, language analysis for the determination of origin, document examination and country-of-origin matters.
I have circa 27 years’ experience working as an interpreter and translator in the UK. I have had first-hand experience of dealing with family cases, criminal cases, and asylum and immigration, which have offered me a good insight into law, procedures, and other matters in Britain. In 2024, I studied a Certificate in English Law and Legal Methods at the City, University of London. This training gives me the chance to consider and apply case law for the jobs I undertake.
I have obtained expert witness training at the Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study at the University of London, in 2025 and 2026. I have also received regular training and worked under the supervision of Dr Jawad Hassan Zadeh, an expert on Afghanistan with 20 years of experience.
I have also held other roles that contributed to my knowledge and experience as an expert witness for Afghanistan. These include working for the Afghan Association of Paiwand and doing casework for Afghan evacuees from 2021 to 2023. I worked as an advocate and support worker in a project managed by the Home Office and the Afghan Association of Paiwand. My responsibilities included managing the formal affairs of Afghan evacuees following the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021. My role involved supporting refugees in integrating into local communities and accessing essential services, including healthcare and social services. This experience strengthened my understanding of the diverse perspectives, circumstances, and life experiences of Afghan refugees beyond my own. Having worked closely with the Afghan refugee community over an extended period has given me substantial experience and knowledge, enabling me to better understand the situation in Afghanistan and assess potential risks.
My publications on Afghanistan are mostly my linguistic studies. These are as follows:
M.A. Applied Linguistics and Communication, Birkbeck, University of London
2025 – 2026 M.A. Applied Linguistics and Communication Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7HX.
Dissertation
Language change: “Translanguaging during migration journeys: An investigation of young and older generation Afghans”
Research Methods and Design
Essay: empirical study of language change.
Introduction to Applied Linguistics
Essay: Language standardisation processes and how it impacts the minorized groups.
Psycholinguistics
Critical review of the current research evidence on perception: an investigation of accented speech
AI, language, and social justice
Machine Translation for low-resource language, Pashto: An investigation of representational and allocational biases in the AI Systems
Graduate Certificate, Birkbeck University of London
2024 – 2025 Linguistics Studies (Graduate Certificate), Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7HX
Analysing Language Structure and Use
Exam: Phonetics, phonology, variation, word structure and Morphology.
Essay: Speech Act Theory and Cooperative Principles.
Contemporary and Global Englishes
Essay: The relationship between ethnic minority groups and linguistic change.
Language, Culture and Communication
Essay: Migration and Refugee Crisis: The Representation of Migration and Refugees in the Mainstream Media in the United Kingdom.
Diploma in Language and Law
2024 – 2025 Language and the Law (Forensic Linguistics), online at NCC College, Warwick House, Riverside Business Park, Beneath Road, Conwy, LL32 8UB
Introduction to forensic linguistics
Essay: the role of a linguist in relation to the law. The applications of linguistic expertise to matters of the law and any problems or limitations.
A Framework for Analysing Text
Essay: The analysis of the ransom note in the case of JonBenét Ramsey, a beauty queen who was murdered on 26 December 1996 under mysterious circumstances.
The Language of the Law
Essay: Comparison of the language, structure, and content of two wills.
Authorship identification and language crimes
Essay: The case of Patrick Molloy, and it analysed an extract from his written statement alongside an extract from a disputed police interview.
Courtroom and police discourses
Essay: The analysis of the extracts from the police interview Mick Brough over the death of Leonard Anderson, an elderly man, who was found dead in his home. The analysis looked at levels of formality in the language and their relevance to the case.
Language Crimes
Essay: explored how language can be criminalised and the valuable contributions linguists make to the legal system in understanding and interpreting these offences.
Orphaned children
Women with no support
Stateless Afghan refugees
Internally displaced Afghans
17 Windmill Street
Gravesend
Kent DA12 1AS