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“IS trying to capture Farah and threaten Iran, says lawmaker”
Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: Members of the Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of the parliament on Monday urged the relevant authorities to process salaries of the civil servants as the delay was irking the government servants.
The MPs said that scores of civil servants were deprived of their salaries. Expressing concerns over the issue, the deputy speaker Zahir Qader said the Nangarhar University’s lecturers have not received salary for the past six months. He said the lecturers have warned the government of boycotting the classes.
Ramazan Bashardost, an MP from Kabul, hit out at the government for not releasing salaries of the civil servants and said that ordinary staffers of the Presidential Palace and university lecturers haven’t received their salaries for the past six months.
He said the state-run higher education institutes have asked the students for Afs40,000 as fee while based on the constitution the government had to provide free education to the youth. Ministry of Higher Education has spent only 28 percent of its fiscal budget in 2013. A large portion of taxes collected by the government has been misused, he added.
The legislators also slammed the government for failure to improve security. They said the national unity government leaders should take immediate security measures to overcome the prevalent bout of violence.
They termed delay in salaries of the many government servants major factor responsible for maladministration and insecurity. The lawmakers said that the government has not been ready to provide its foreign policy guidelines to the Wolesi Jirga.
Humaira Ayubi, a female parliamentarian, said that the Taliban fighters who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) or Daesh have killed eight policemen and injured 42 others in her province.
The IS has been busy to increase its activities in Farah in order to capture the province and threaten Iran, she said. Farah province borders Iran.
Ms Ayubi said that Farah does not have police chief for the past four months, therefore, borders are under constant threat of terrorists, drugs, cattle and human traffickers.
She said the interior minister should be asked to address the issue while taking priority based measures.
Sima Joyenda, an MP from Ghor province, said that civil servants in 56 districts have not received their salaries. She said the delay could result in corruption.
Criticizing the government for not appointing new governors, she alleged the acting governors of usurping state-owned and private properties.
Zahir Qadir said the president in a meeting has vowed to appoint new governors within next 16 days.
He said that 16 districts of Nangarhar are insecure and the government could not establish its writ there. Urging the relevant authorities for security measures, he said that none could go there, except police and army.
