<p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL</a> members and a government official on Monday confirmed a meeting between Iranian officials and some MPs on how to block the approval of a strategic agreement with the US in Afghan parliament.</p>
<p>President Hamid Karzai and his American counterpart Barack Obama signed the agreement on May 1 in Kabul. Foreign affairs commissions of the two houses had ratified the agreement, which will be sent to the lower house for approval in near future.</p>
<p>After being approved by the Wolesi Jirga, the document will be sent to the <a href="/en/meshrano-jirga" class="glossify-link">Meshrano Jirga</a> -- or upper house -- for approval.</p>
<p>MP Arian Yun, a representative from Nangarhar, believed the MPs who had won the election with the help of Iran were likely to work for promoting the neighbouring country’s interests.</p>
<p>Without naming any MP, she said: "The Iranian embassy financially supports these lawmakers in return for rejecting the accord." However, she did not give a specific number for the pro-Iran legislators.</p>
<p>Another parliamentarian from southeastern Khost, Kamal Nasar Asoli, also confirmed Yun’s claims. "When we will discuss the agreement, we will expose them to the media. A discussion on the pact is ongoing among commissions of the lower house,” he said.</p>
<p>Wolesi Jirga’s foreign affairs commission head Daud Kalakani, though confirmed the claims, said national interests should be more important for parliamentarians.</p>
<p>A government official, who did not want to be named, said that embassies of Iran and <a href="/en/pakistan" class="glossify-link">Pakistan</a> had invited parliamentarians of both houses ahead of approving the strategic agreement.</p>
<p>Despite efforts, this scribe was unable to contact the Pakistani and Iranian embassies for comments about the claims of MPs. The claims came days after Iranian ambassador to <a href="/en/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan</a> requested parliamentarians to reject the strategic deal.</p>
<p>Early this month, ambassador Abul Fazal Zuhrawand asked the upper house to reject the recently-signed strategic deal between Kabul and Washington, a demand strongly denounced by Afghan lawmakers.</p>
<p>Parliamentarians said the diplomat’s statements amounted to a clear interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.</p>
<p>frm/ma</p>
