U.S.-Afghan bilateral security agreement under fire; Legislators reiterate call for revision of BSA

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By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: Lawmakers on Monday once again urged the administration of President Ghani to reassess the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States, a pact they believe has failed in bringing about stability in the conflict-ridden country.

Legislators argued that they had sanctioned the bilateral pact in hope it could restore peace, stability and economic sustainability, but security worsened and economy recessed exponentially after it was ratified. They said they will keep on their push for a revision of the agreement.

MP Shekiba Hashimi said that Wolesi Jirga passed the BSA, thinking that it would be efficient in ensuing security like it was in Saudi Arabia and Japan and other countries. “I voted in favor of the pact, believing that it will give us peace. But it turned out to be a futile pact that brought about nothing but blood,” she said.

“Over hundred people including security forces and civilians are being martyred and injured across the country every day; have we sanctioned the BSA to still give sacrifice?” she said.

Hashimi said there is commitment in the BSA that dictates if Afghanistan came under aggression attacks, the foreign forces must react, our soil often came under missile attacks by Pakistan, but foreign forces said that it is the two countries problem.

Considering all issues we seek revise of the BSA, he noted.

Lawmaker Nader Khan Katawazai said that we have voted for the BSA, but US forces not fulfilled the commitments mentioned in the pact.

He said that a decision must be taken to be in balance and proper to lead to stability in Afghanistan as well as cut interference of neighboring in Afghanistan.

Another legislator Ghulam Farooq said that unfortunately we have faced to an imposed war and giving sacrifices since last four decades and the foreign troops, who have presence here not assisting us, all working for their own interest.

He said that in order to win this war we need to national consensus and unity.

We are in front line of combat against international terrorism, thus the foreigners assist us to have security and stability in their own countries.

Every day we are swimming in blood pool, so we insist over implementation of the commitments mentioned in BSA in order to reach to peace and stability, he underlined.

Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said that considering spreading violence, discussing over revision of BSA in the Wolesi Jirga is the right of representatives and people of Afghanistan as a US strategic partner.

He said that still Wolesi Jirga have no clear information about the mutual commission, which was mentioned in the BSA to be establish fromboth sides for implementing of subjects of the pact, so we have ordered to the international affairs committee to assess the issue and report to the lawmakers.

The demand by MPs comes in a while that last week prominent Jihadi and political leaders in a meeting to discuss the ongoing political and security situation of the country, called on government to revise the BSA, because other party of the agreement- the United States- has failed to deliver on its commitment, it made in the agreement with the Afghan people and government.