Political rivaly to fuel chaos: Hamidzai

 
JALALABAD (PAN): Wolesi Jirga Interior Security Commission member Mohammad Naeem Lalai Hamidzai on Saturday feared eastern Nangarhar province could plunge into a deep political crisis as a result of an ongoing feud between lawmakers.
The legislator told Pajhwok Afghan News during an interview lawmakers representing Nangarhar should shun their differences and instead work together to prevent any new crisis and resolve the problems facing residents.
"I do not want to name anyone involved in the feud which is in no one's interest and can only lead to a severe political crisis," he said, referring to last month's anti-governor protests that lasted five days.
Thousands of demonstrators demanded the dismissal of Governor Gul Agha Sherzai for his alleged involvement in corruption and embezzlement of development funds, illegal land grabs and failure to protect Afghan territory from Pakistani inroads.
Hamidzai said Sherzai had been appointed as Nangarhar governor through a presidential decree and he could be unseated through another presidential decree.
"It is not the time to play politics. Every lawmaker should play part in resolving people's problems," he said.
He said the people of Afghanistan would never recognise the Duran Line as an international border and Pashtuns could live either side of the border.
"We have never accepted the British-mandated border and would never recognise it in future as well," he said. Foreign troops had failed to overcome terrorism in Afghanistan because the roots of terror were across the border in Pakistan.
Hamidzai suggested the international community should not pay money to Pakistan to fight terrorism on its soil, but should take direct action against terrorists inside the country.
"Pakistan receives $250 million per year in the name of fighting terrorism, but the country use that money to promote and export terrorism to Afghanistan," he said.
He alleged foreign troops, including British, and a handful of Afghan officials in connivance with Pakistani intelligence agencies had hatched a conspiracy aimed at intimidating Pashtuns on both side of the Durand Line.
He said that President Hamid Karzai, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and security organs had adopted a criminal silence over the conspiracy against Pashtuns.
Hamidzai said Pakistan had never been a friend of Afghanistan and Punjabi generals had always tried to divide Pashtuns and led them to fight each other.
He asked Karzai to help stop the anti-Pashtun conspiracy, otherwise Afghans would themselves act to stop it.
"Durand Line has been a source of depriving Pashtuns of their rights. This drama should come to an end," Hamidzai said.
About a recent border skirmish between Afghan and Pakistani forces, the lawmaker said he would present a detailed report about the issue to Parliament and everyone responsible would be named in the report.
He claimed Pakistani forces had entered 45 kilometers inside Afghanistan in Goshta district and the Afghans had run out of patience with the advancement.