By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: The Afghan Youth Civil Stream (AYCS) on Thursday strongly condemned remarks made by Iranian President regarding Afghanistan’s water and construction of dams. AYCS called on Iran to stop its shameful interference into internal affairs of Afghanistan, and asked the President to officially apologies from the Afghan government and the people over recent baseless remarks.
Recently, during an international conference on combating sand and dust storms in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, Iran President, Hassan Rouhani has expressed his concerns regarding Afghanistan’s dam project. He said that dam construction in Afghanistan play a role in the desiccation of rivers and that people will be forced to leave their homes
His concerns come as the Afghan government is making efforts to build more dams in a bid to regulate waters for agriculture and electricity production.
“Rouhani’s recent remark regarding Afghanistan’s water is a clear sign of interference, thus he has to officially apologies from the Afghan people for his shameful interference,” Head of AYCS Ghurzang Syal, told newsmen.
Addressing a press conference here in Kabul, he told media that similarly like Pakistan, Iran also interfering in internal affairs of Afghanistan, even supporting armed insurgents, providing them weapons aimed at fueling insecurity to get benefit from unstable situation .
Iran was involved in killing of engineers, and guards of Salama and Kajaki dams in the past, he said, adding that the government has to take serious step over Iranian president’s remarks.
While strongly condemned interference remarks of the Iranian president, another member of AYCS, Adbul Kahliq Husaini, urged all the Afghans to stand united for safeguarding national interest.
He added that water resources are a national capital, so all Afghans must mobilize in defending this national resource.
Criticizing Iran’s water policy, he said that Iran already stopped flowing of its water to Afghanistan, even one drop of Iran water is not flowing to Afghanistan now, but using 70 percent of Afghanistan’s water.
He insisted that Afghanistan has the right to use its own water for its betterment.
At the end, the AYCS released a resolution, in which asked President Hassan Rouhani to apologies for his remarks from the people of Afghanistan. “Iran has to stop its interference into internal affairs of the country, instead of funning flame of conflict—it should support peace process and play its part being as a good neighbor.” AYCS also asked the government to give a diplomatic response regarding irresponsible remarks of the Iranian president, and take steps to prevent Iran from giving such remarks at the future.
Moreover, they called on the government to suppress Iranian-backed insurgents inside Afghanistan as well to unmask spies working for Iran inside the system and punish them seriously.
“The government has to accelerate work over water dams, and take step for its protection.”
AYCS is enough sure that the Afghan masses would firmly stand by the side of the Afghan forces in order to defend their national interests, the resolution added.