Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Kabul (BNA) In an extraordinary session of both houses of parliament here yesterday, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said that based on the Holy Quran guidance, we have the right to defend our people and country against the rebels and to suppress them, a statement from Presidential Palace said, adding that the government will no longer call on Islamabad to help in peace efforts, as Pakistan has not yet fulfilled its promises to draw Taliban to negotiating table.
Pointing to last week’s attack in Kabul, President Ghani said the attack was not the first of its kind and Taliban’s list of destructive activities is a long one in Afghanistan, adding that such kind of barbaric acts have no place in Islam and Afghan culture.
“Tuesday’s attack in Kabul further secluded the ‘criminals’ and people showed their hatred towards them by donating blood for victims all over the country,” he said.
President Ghani also added that Pakistan should realize that there is no difference between good and bad terrorists and it should act as a responsible government.
Hinting to peace with Taliban, the president said that government wants peace with the groups that denounce violence, accept the constitution and cut ties with terrorist groups, adding that those seek violence and barbarism against innocent Afghan people, the doors of peace will not be opened for them.
The president told the lawmakers that the Afghan government has ended its responsibility for calling to peace and will use all resources available to defend the country against terrorists.
“The Taliban’s leaderships in Quetta and Peshawar belong to enemies of Afghanistan and besides Daesh, al Qaeda and Haqqani shedding their countrymen’s blood and continue the war and terrorism,” he added, stating that the “time for unjustified amnesty is over. Those involved in terrorist activities will be executed.”
“We did not spare any efforts to peacefully make an end to the violence in the country. Meanwhile, we have put every effort to defend our people in the undeclared war against us,” he continued.
The president pledged to end the caretaking practice in government, and said: “‘Honorable lawmakers and senators! Minister of Defense and the Director General of the NDS will be introduced to you in the next few days.” President Ghani said government has prepared a 5-year war strategy that will be finalized at the Warsaw Summit in July. He stated that 50,000 families have sent their sons to the front line of the war and he thanks them for this. He stressed the fact that the Afghan Air Forces is stronger now than the past and have targeted militants in all parts of Afghanistan.
“Security forces are embroiled in seven military operations in 15 provinces to suppress Taliban and Haqqani network,” he said, adding that government now has the full support of MPs over its political and war decisions following a meeting last week.
On the issue of endemic corruption in public offices, the president said the National Assembly should support the fight against corruption and the government has taken some important moves to overcome this menace. He mentioned that enemies use this weak point on government – corruption – to serve their own purposes, adding that the nation should be united against their plots.
The president also touched on government’s economic plans and said they are trying to boost the economy and increase jobs in the country. He termed the October Brussels Conference on Afghanistan as crucial and said almost 70 countries will attend the summit and will renew their pledges to Kabul.
Meanwhile, the speaker of the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament), Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, opened yesterday session and presented a list of MPs demands. He asked for timely holding of the parliamentary and district councils’ elections, ending of the caretaking practice in government, moving forward peace with those who lay down their arms and join the peace process, reviewing government’s security and defense strategy, implementation of the bilateral security agreement (BSA) signed between Kabul and Washington, the review of the High Peace Council’s (HPC) activities, addressing Afghan refugees and migrants’ problems in Saudi Arabia and European countries, the strengthening of good governance in public offices and fulfilling the promises of government leaders which they made before and after the establishment of the National Unity Government.
