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If the US is failing in supporting Afghan security forces, a new security agreement should be signed with Moscow and the BSA with Washington must be revoked: Wolesi Jirga
Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: The Wolesi Jirga (WJ) on Saturday asked the government and the United States to adopt a clear standpoint in fight against insurgency in the country.
The lawmakers said that since Kabul and Washington are allies therefore the US government should make its standpoint on fighting insurgency in the country clear as it has been fighting in the country with murky policies. They also said the US should support Afghan security forces and train them in order to strengthen them in battlefield against the insurgents.
As insurgency has been ramping up across the country where even the once relatively peaceful regions are getting insecure, the lawmakers blamed the government and international community for having no clear policy to counter terrorism. The lawmakers also talked the recent interview of Pervez Musharraf, the former president of Pakistan and said that all the allegations by Afghanistan were valid as a key Pakistani leaders confessed that Osama bin Laden and Haqqani were Pakistan’s heroes.
Pervez Musharraf in his recent interview to a private news channel in Pakistan acknowledged that terrorists such as Osama bin Laden, the late leader of al-Qaeda, and Haqqani were once heroes for Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan supported religious militancy in its own favor and against the Soviet troops back in 1979.
An MP from Kabul, Sher Wali Wardak, said Pakistan trained terrorists and now they are a big threat to the world. He said Pakistan has been supporting these elements for almost 40 years now.
He said that Pakistan on one hand has been supporting insurgents while on other hand receiving funds from the US, British and China in the name of counter-terrorism efforts.
“Pakistani leaders have provided several training centers to the militants on its territory to challenge the world’s safety,” he said. He added that militants still remain under the thumb of Pakistan. We should summon the US ambassador to the Parliament to tell him to talk to Pakistani leaders and seek explanations from them. “This is necessary for adopting a clear standpoint against terrorism,” he underlined.
As Kabul and Washington have inked a Bilateral Security Agreement, Wardak said that US should fulfill its promises made in the document of the agreement. He furthered that Afghan masses suffered a lot at the hands of insurgents.
“Eliminating terrorism, supporting Afghan security forces and augmenting the already weak economy of Afghanistan should be the main priorities of the US,” he said.
“Our security forces don’t have their own air support. Insurgents still are threatening the world,” he said.
Another MP from Balkh, Mawlavi Abdul Rahman Rahmani, said that President Ashraf Ghani should not ask Russia for military support when Kabul has inked BSA with the US. However, he said that it is the flawed US policy that is pushing Kabul to seek military support from Moscow.
He added the government should ask the US to provide military facilities to Afghan security forces based on BSA agreement.
He said that if US was not supporting Afghan security forces, a new security pact should be signed with Russia after revoking BSA with Washington through holding a Loya Jirga.
Salih Muhammad Salih, a member of Internal Security Committee of the Wolesi Jirga said that he is worried over current security, political and economic condition of Afghanistan.
“We, MPs should use our authority to secure Afghanistan from current dilemma and there is no need to hold jirgas,” he said.
Wolesi Jirga Speaker, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi expressed his deep concerns over increasing insecurity in the country. He asked the President to take a clear stand on war on terror.
He said the government should send a draft of its foreign policy to the Lower House for approval so that irresponsible comment could be avoided in future.
He also blamed Ghani for not implementing the law on National ID cards. He called on him him to start issuing electronic ID cards as soon as possible.
This is worth mentioning the distribution of electronic ID cards had already been approved by majority of the lawmakers.
