Members on Tuesday asked the government to mount military pressure on the armed opposition and strengthen intelligence and detective forces.
The call came as four suicide bombers and three Afghan guards were killed in a botched Taliban attack on the Presidential Palace, raising doubts about peace talks among the Taliban, the US and the Afghan government in Qatar.
Senate Chairman Fazl Hadi Muslimyar told today’s session that in order to improve security and bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, it was necessary to exert military pressure on the rebels.
First Deputy Chairman Mohammad Alam Ezedyar said the Taliban had no belief in peace and they looked for excuses to prolong the conflict. He said the ongoing peace drive was going nowhere and the government should adopt a clear political stance against the Taliban.
Ezedyar believed insecurity had increased because the government had failed to punish those involved in terrorist activities.
Hafiz Abdul Qayyum from eastern Nuristan province said through attacks, the Taliban wanted show they were still strong enough to strike anywhere they wanted. He said Kabul attack was aimed at accepting most Taliban’s conditions in peace talks.
“An intelligence war is ongoing in Afghanistan and the region, but our intelligence organs are weak,” said Senator Abdul Qayyum. “We have to strengthen our intelligence agencies in order to fight this war.”
A number of lawmakers strongly condemned the attack on the Presidential Palace, saying security-related incidents were on the increase. They asked the government to strengthen Afghan forces in all fields.
They decided to summon high security officials to the upper house next week to brief them on increasing insecurity.
Without elaborating, Muslimyar said the US had “servants” among the Taliban and Afghan officials and today’s attack was carried out by those elements.
