KABUL (SW): At today’s meeting, the lower House of Representatives (Wolesi Jirga), summoned the Defense Minister, Tariq Shah Bahrami, the Interior Minister, Wais Ahmad Barmak, and the National Security Director, Masoom Stanikzai in connection with the increased insecurity and lack of proper plans to tackle the security situation in the country. However, Masoom Stanikzai did not attend the meeting, though; the WJ did not allow the Deputy Director of National Security to attend the meeting on behalf of Masoom Stanikzai.
Members of WJ raised questions regarding the increasing suicide attacks in the provincial capitals, the inability of the intelligence agencies to prevent insecurity incidents, retirement of security personnel, non-payment of soldiers’ salaries, security of upcoming election, increasing insecurity of the highways, and withholding of reports after suicide attacks.
Iqbal Safi and Shah Gul Rezaei, two members of WJ said that in some districts, salaries of police officers have been deposited into other’s bank accounts and no precautionary steps have been taken to prevent the suicide attacks.
Some members of WJ also raised questions regarding the silence of security agencies about the abductions and kidnappings of people in the Northern provinces in the country, as well as the proposed peace package of the government to Taliban and its impact on the security forces. However, due to the sensitivity of the issue, and secret level of the topics discussed, the answers were provided behind closed doors without the presence of the media.
This is not the first time that the security officials answer to WJ in secret without the presence of the media, though; it has been criticized by the media and citizens of Afghanistan alike.
ENDS
