KABUL (Pajhwok): Some Wolesi Jirga or lower house members on Monday urged the government to expose what a veteran former jihadi leader called “fifth pillar” of the government working to weaken the state.
Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf had recently said that leaders of some terrorist groups in the country were in Kabul.
Sayyaf was addressing a gathering marking the fourth death anniversary of Burhanuddin Rabbani, former president and head of the High Peace Council.
“Unless we remove the enemy from under our noses, we can’t defeat them on the battlefield,” he had said.
Lawmaker Gulalai Noor Safi told today’s Wolesi Jirga session that such people should be identified and named by Sayyaf and others or they should stop making the public worried.
He said security forces should get information from leaders aware about the “fifth pillar”. “Why don’t they receive information from these leaders who know the details? This issue should become clear.”
Qazi Abdul Rahim, a lawmaker from Badghis province, said: “Ten people laced with many weapons and ammunitions had gathered in the house of a security official and they wanted the Qadesh district of Badghis to fall. They were then detained.”
“There are people in the government who want the system to collapse. There are enough evidences that they cooperate with insurgents,” he added.
Daud Kalakani, another MP, claimed some insurgents were being shifted from one province to another by government vehicles.
“There are people who pocket $2,000 and $3,000 salaries, they release inmates from prisons and government can’t do anything about it. The war is being ignited once again by those released from the Bagram and Pul-i-Charkhi prisons,” he remarked.
He alleged there was ample evidence proving that some insiders wanted to weaken the government. Kalakani asked the administrative board of the house to summon Sayyaf and elaborate on the fifth pillar.
He said it was government’s responsibility to identify and prosecute such elements in cooperation with jihadi leaders. “Most of the politicians know who cooperate with the insurgents and await opportunity to bring down the government to its knees.”
Haji Zahir Qadir, first deputy speaker, tasked the internal security committee to investigate the matter and submit its findings to the house.
He said leaving some areas to insurgents under agreements amounted to bowing to them. He did not elaborate.
But a five-member government delegation recently signed an agreement with local elders representing insurgents in Dehna Ghori district and Dand Ghori of Pul-i-Khumri.
Under the agreement, the insurgents would not carry out attacks into Pul-i-Kumri, the capital of Baghlan province, and security forces would stop operations in these areas.
Qadir warned if the government continued these actions after Eid holidays, parliamentarians and the people would come together and put an end to the government.
“Daesh’s recruitment is in full swing. Our youth migrate from the country on a daily basis, kidnappings are rampant, insurgents are being helped from inside the government. If the government is not fixed, after Eid the lawmakers would put an end to the government,” he remarked.
He said government-led operations against insurgents were not enough and soon elders in the eastern zone would launch clearing operations.
Qadir said people were dissatisfied with the Cabinet’s performance and the Wolesi Jirga should take action against them.
“The president had promised to present his government performance report to the parliament after six months and the Cabinet made a similar pledge. They should deliver on their promises or we would start summoning them.”
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