KABUL (Pajhwok): Some Wolesi Jirga members on Saturday criticised the US for not properly equipping Afghan security forces and asked the Afghan government to reconsider its foreign policy.
Sher Wali Wardak, a lawmaker from Kabul province, said: “Earlier Taliban were in the mountains, but now they are in cities. Our security forces lack military equipment specially the air force.”
The lawmaker said the US had miserably failed in eliminating Taliban sanctuaries in Afghanistan and the region.
He said terrorists continued killing innocent Afghans and that the US should make it clear whether Afghanistan or Pakistan was its ally.
He said the US should provide equipment to Afghan forces under the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), otherwise the government should revoke the deal.
Maulvi Abdul Rahman Rahmani, a lawmaker from northern Balkh province, criticising President Ghani, said: “Lawmakers define the parameters of foreign policy, but in Afghanistan our foreign relations are defined by some individuals.”
He said the president without consultations turned to Russia and asked Kremlin for military assistance.
Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahim said the government should send a draft of its foreign policy to the lower house for approval so that irresponsible comments could be avoided in future.
“We cannot criticise officials’ comments over foreign policy because the government is yet to identify the basics of its foreign relations,” he said.
In line with the Article 63 of the Constitution, the formation and dispatching of foreign policy principles are the President’s duty.
The president formulates foreign policy after consultations with experts and advisors in the largest interest of the country.
Earlier the foreign ministry spokesman had said that work on the formation of foreign policy was underway and would be soon dispatched to the parliament for approval.
nh/ma
