Afghan Biographies

Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC)


Name Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC)
Ethnic backgr.
Date of birth
Function/Grade Background
History and Biodata

The principal objective of ATC is the elimination of mines and UXOs within Afghanistan to reduce the number of casualties amongst the civilian population and to enable land to be returned to productive use, thus reducing reliance on international food aid.

Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC) is the oldest and largest non-profit and non-governmental organization for humanitarian mine clearance in Afghanistan. It was established in October 1989, by the present director Kefayatullah Eblagh. ATC started demining operations in early 1990, with an initial staff of thirty-five. Since then, it has undergone significant change and expansion. ATC has developed into a highly organized and effective NGO. It was based in Peshawar, Pakistan and later shifted to Kabul City.

On Wednesday, March 24, 2010 the oldest Afghan demining organization, Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC), celebrated its 21st anniversary at their Kabul-based Training Center.  U.S. Deputy Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone was on hand to congratulate the staff of the ATC and its Director, Eblaugh “Kef” Kefatullah, on their brave work, to speak out against the Taliban’s use of improvised landmines, and to challenge them to increase their efforts for the sake of all Afghans.

Afghan Technical Consultants is one of five Afghan Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) which receive direct funding from the United States to carry out such crucial activities as conducting clearance operations; developing host nation management and technical capacity; providing vocational training; and developing new community-based demining initiatives that cooperate with village elders and employ local staff in some of the most difficult and dangerous environments in Afghanistan.  These NGOs together received $26.7 million from the U.S. in fiscal year 2009; since 1993, the U.S. has provided more than $115 million in mine action and conventional weapons destruction assistance to Afghanistan.

Though the demining agency, Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC), is not allowed to clear Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) according to UN policies, talks continue over the issue. If the results are positive, the demining agency could clear IEDs, the ATC head, Kefayat Ullah Ablagh, said.(20120408)

Address: House 22/24, Street 10, Behind Warir Akbar Khan Mosque, Kabul Afghanistan or P. O. Box # 3 Kabul, Afghanistan
Phone: +93-20 752004187 or +93-20 2301308
Fax: +93-20 2301307

Last Modified 2012-04-11
Established 2012-04-11