MPs oppose govt team to probe Qadir’s claims

KABUL members on Saturday criticised the government over appointing a delegation to investigate lawmaker Haji Zahir Qadir’s allegations, saying the issue should be probed by a joint delegation of the three pillars of the state.

On November 23, Zahir Qadir, the first deputy speaker of the lower house, told a general session that Daesh or the self-styled Islamic State leaders were living in Kabul under the patronage of the National Security Council (NSC). He had also accused the government of supporting the militant outfit.

Qadir had also rejected claims that Afghan forces had killed a large number of Daesh fighters in eastern Nangarhar province, saying the IS rebels had been killed by local people.

But his claims were rejected by the NSC and the Ministry of Interior while President Ghani appointed a delegation to investigate his assertions.

The president through a decree has directed the NSC, the government minister’s office in parliamentary affairs, the Ministry of Information and Culture, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and the ministries of interior and defense to cooperate with the team during its investigation.

However, some lawmakers opposed the appointment of the delegation by the president. One of them, Humayon Humayon, a lawmaker from south-eastern Khost province, told Saturday’s general session that National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar should be first suspended before the delegation could investigate Qadir’s allegations. He said Atmar could influence the delegation in his own interest.

MP Samiullah Samim from western Farah province also criticised the appointment of the delegation, calling it an attack on the parliament. Pointing to the government, he said, “You are an accused, you can’t appoint a delegation.”

He asked the government to reconsider the appointment of the delegation, saying that former jihadi leader Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf had alleged that some officials within the government were weakening the regime.

Haji Qadir welcomed the president’s decision to appoint a team to investigate his allegations, but said the law should be equally enforced and Atmar should be suspended first.

He said the delegation should be formed of representatives from the three pillars of the states because the government was a party to the issue.

mds/ma

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