Loya Jirga proceedings begin amid tight security

KABUL on the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US got under way in Kabul on Thursday (today) morning.

Participants of the event will debate the nitty-gritty of the accord on a future US military presence in the country and advise the government on whether or not the deal should be signed.   

Around 2,500 people’s representatives, tribal chieftains and others are attending the grand assembly. A security blanket has been thrown around the city, where several busy entry points have been blocked.

National assembly and provincial council members, scholars, women tribe, people with disabilities, traders, rights activists and representatives are among invitees.  

Over the past two years, Afghanistan and the US have held several rounds of tough negotiations on shaping a US military presence after 2014, when all foreign combat troops are scheduled to leave.

President Hamid Karzai invited Hezb-i-Islami to the event but they declined the invitation.

American troop immunity and their unilateral operations have been the main controversial issues. But the two sides seem to have resolved differences on the points.

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