Afghanistan Times
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By Akhtar M. Nikzad-KABUL: Telecommunication Minister Abdul Raziq Wahidi assured parliamentarians that the ISIS broadcaster’s activity has been stopped.
The parliament summoned Monday minister Wahidi for an interpellation over the people’s concerns about the ISIS radio, which has reportedly broadcasts in the eastern region.
The broadcaster called Radio Caliphate is particularly active in Nangarhar province.
“The ministry of telecommunication in collaboration with security organs stopped broadcasting of Radio Caliphate in Nangarhar province and the broadcaster has no more propaganda activities there,” Wahidi told lawmakers.
The misusing of his authority, non-transparency in the contracts of development projects and appointing the incompetence individuals with immense salaries were the other issues the MPs asked the minister.
Lawmaker Abdul Rahman Rahmani accused Wahidi of appointing some 42 people in Afghan Telecom Company and 37 in Afghan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority contractors with high salaries.
“The minister has the right to appoint seven employees, but he engaged around 79 ones while majority of them have no competency for the positions,” Rahmani said.
He also said that Wahidi had appointed some of his relatives as his advisors with high payments.
The minister said that all the contracts “are implemented in transparent procurement process”.
“I have appointed 29 contractors eight of them with 16,000 Afs payments.”
At the end of the session, Wahidi got 104 positive votes of confidence that helped him to save his position as minister against 71 lawmakers who gave negative votes.
Based on the constitution, a minister will be disqualified by receiving 51 per cent of the total votes.
