6 ministers-designate, NDS head win trust vote from Parliament

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of the Parliament on Monday granted the vote of confidence to six ministers- designate, head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and rejected two others.

A total of 244 lawmakers were present in the voting process and every minister-designate was required to collect 123 votes to secure victory.

Of total eight ministers-designate, six managed to secure the trust vote while TahirZaheer, minister-designate for Information and Cultural Affairs and Haseena Safi, minister designate for Women Affairs Ministry, failed to secure the lawmakers trust vote.

NDS nominee Ahmad Zia Seraj secured 220 votes to become head of the National Directorate of Security, Anwarul HaqAhadi secured 189 votes to become Minister of Agriculture and Mahmood Karzai got 154 votes to become Minister of Urban and Land Affairs.

Noor Rahman Akhlaqi got 165 votes to become Minister of Refugee and Repatriates, Qudratullah Zaki obtained 165 votes to become Minister of Transport, Najibullah Yameen 149 votes to become Minister of Public Works and Mohammad Haroon Chakhansuri 154 votes to become minister of Mines and Petroleum.

But TahirZaheer who secured 78 votes and Haseena Safi 119 votes fell short of the threshold.

Nh/ma