More Afghans want to return home, says Wardak

KABUL (Pajhwok): Former state minister for parliamentary affairs Farooq Wardak, who recently returned to the country, says more individuals who served in the previous government are eager for homecoming.

He wants the Islamic Emirate to embrace the entire nation.

A week before the fall of the previous government, Wardak recalled, he and his family went to Turkey for medical treatment and returned on June 8.

He urged the Islamic Emirate to allow all Afghans to play their role in the current system. People want to have ownership of the system and get their voices heard, the ex-minister remarks.

In an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, Wardak commended the formation of the Reconciliation Commission by the government as a positive step. The panel contacted and urged him to return to the country.

Without going into details, he said: “A number of politicians contacted and asked me to return to the country. But unfortunately, things are exaggerated outside the country. The situation inside Afghanistan is totally different.

“I think it is our collective responsibility to take steps inside and outside the country to resolve existing problems through negotiations,” he suggested.

When asked if the commission was in touch with former president Ashraf Ghani, he said: “I have no contact with Ghani. Even before leaving the country, I was not in touch with him, and (even today) I have no information about him.”

To the question, if he eyed any position in the current administration, Wardak replied: “I want to serve the people within my personal resources and without thinking of having a government post.”

Before the collapse of the previous administration, Wardak explained, he had resigned his post. He said he did not want to hold a government slot at that time. He is not interested in being part of the current setup.

“I want to spend my remaining life with my people, without holding any official position,” the ex-minister reiterated.

Some Afghans believe Wardak has returned home to secure his money in banks in Afghanistan and oversee personal businesses.

But Wardak said: “I have no business in Afghanistan. Over the past 35 years, I have had no business. I would be happy if you give me a single example.

nh/mud