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KABUL: A number of Afghan politicians gathered in Kabul on Friday to commemorate 13th death anniversary of Sayed Mustafa Kazemi, former Minister of Commerce, and head of Parliament’s Economic Commission, who was killed in a suicide bombing in Baghlan in 2007.
Mustafa Kazemi was traveling to Kunduz when he had a stop in Baghlan province to visit a local textile factory where the suicide attack happened killing 63 students and five other parliament members.
Five other MPs killed in the attack were Abdul Matin, Sibgatullah Zaki, Haji Sahib Rahman Hemat, Nazik Mir Sarferaz and Mohammad Arif Zarif.
Participants at Kabul gathering recalled the heinous attack on Kabul University and said Afghans continue to bear the brunt of the war despite efforts for peace.
Mohammad Mohaqiq, chairman of the People’s Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, described Kazemi as a figure who established the foundations of unity in the country.
Another speaker of the event, Ata Mohammad Noor, the CEO of Jamiat-e-Islami party, said there is a need to end the war in the country. “Afghans are faced with an enemy that has no identity and it targets education centers, universities and mosques.
Kazemi was born in Surkhi Parsa district of Parwan province and he had studied business at Isfahan University in Iran for three years.
After the establishment of the interim government in 2001, he was appointed Minister of Commerce and then he was elected as a member of parliament representing Kabul.
Kazemi’s accomplishments include facilitating help for entrepreneurs for both large and small businesses, establishing an Investment Support Directorate, obtaining 80% customs exemptions in the United States and India for Afghan goods, initiating the construction of the Zaranj-Delaram-Chabahar transit road, founding the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and building connections with the US, Korea, Iran and many other countries, attracting investors and creating the High Investment Commission, and initiating building and renovation of industrial parks in Kabul and many other provinces.
