Taliban run bombers’ market with other groups: Saraj

KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief on Monday said there were no signs countries interfering in Afghanistan affairs would change their policies and claimed the Taliban and other rebel groups still maintained strong ties and had created a market for selling and buying suicide bombers.

The nominees for NDS, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) and Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) today presented their plans to the Wolesi Jirga or lower house of Parliament.

Ahmad Zia Saraj, acting NDS chief and a nominee for the position, talking to today’s meeting of the lower house said, “The prolonged war in Afghanistan is imposed because our country is an intersection of interests for regional countries, Afghan forces and people are sacrificing their lives for the benefits of others.”

He said the conflict of interests between regional countries had caused the Afghan war to take many dimensions. “The Taliban, the main element of this proxy war, are in the lead of this conflict.”

Saraj said the Taliban were supported by intelligence agencies of regional countries who even wrote statements for the insurgent group. He said that the Taliban still had close relations with other rebel groups.

“The reason of the prolonged war in Afghanistan is Taliban’s bases in Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi, they make their plans there without any worries…” he said.

Saraj added that currently Afghan forces were fighting more than 20 insurgent groups who fought for the interests of others.

Citing an example, he said that Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Ansarullah of Tajikistan, Junbish-e-Turkmenistan and some other groups who wanted Islamic governments in their countries instead fought against Afghans and operated under Taliban.

“Our information shows the Taliban in collaboration with other terrorist groups have created a market for selling and buying suicide bombers, they even borrow these bombers,” he added.

He said there were no signs the countries interfering in Afghanistan would change their policies. “In the contrary, terrorist groups have strengthened their relations with the Taliban more than ever,” he added.

Despite the US-Taliban agreement in Doha, the Taliban still keep relations with Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others, he said.

On Saturday, the Wolesi Jirga or lower house of the parliament granted trust vote to 10 ministers designate.

On October 20, President Ghani referred 22 ministers-designate and heads of two independent commissions to the Wolesi Jirga for the vote of confidence.

mds/ma

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