KABUL (PAN): Presidential hopeful Mullah Abdul Salam Rocketi promised to declare general amnesty for Taliban fighters and disgruntled elements to bring peace to the war devastated country of Afghanistan if he wins in the August 20 elections. "I will assure that Taliban fighters will not be prosecuted, he said. They will be appointed to official posts and their children will be able to get an education." Rocketi said that "the current crisis and lack of a competent administration encouraged me to announce my candidacy. If there were no corruption, injustice and if there was security in Afghanistan there might be no need for my candidacy." He said foreign influence should be eliminated from the election: "All Afghans should construct the country by their votes and not to sell it to foreigners," he insisted. The 51-year-old former Jihadi commander said it is important for voters to differentiate between the candidates who sacrifice for the nation and those who are obliged to foreigners. "I have been serving the nation for 30 years, but others have stolen money and now they construct buildings with stolen money," he said. "Perhaps I may be the only commander that was not thinking about lining my pocket," he said. Though his family name is Salam, he is best know by his nickname of Rocketi, which came about because he was an expert at using rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) - in Pashto language Rakiti means user of a rocket. When asked what his prescription would be for Afghanistan as a patient if he were a doctor, he replied, "The first and most important prescription of mine will be security. The second, uniting Afghans under national leadership - maintaining social justice, promoting the economy, strengthening national army and police, promoting education and making appointments on merit." Sitting on a red carpet in a simple unfurnished room eight by four meters, Rakiti said his plan to maintain security in the country was general amnesty for Taliban fighters and disgruntled people. When asked whether a general amnesty can persuade militants to give up the guerrilla war and whether he has met with Taliban fighters, Rakiti said that he did not talk to any insurgent group yet and would not do so until he becomes president. "I will call for a Loya Jirga which will include all tribes, tribal elders, politicians, Mujahideen, Ulema [religious scholars], former commanders, opposition and disgruntled elements, he said. I will also call for a third impartial Jirga to decide national reconciliation for all Afghans, and no one can take part in the Jirga until a declaration of general amnesty. Of his economic plan, he said, "I will force the government to find jobs for people, to supply electricity from national infrastructures and work on underground resources. It will be carried out by collecting the taxes and internal income." Afghanistan's problems could be solved if its revenues weren't lost in misuse and corruption, he said. "I will collect the income and not a penny of it would be misused as Afghanistan has much income, he said. And I will use the foreign aid for development schemes." To enhance security, he said he would increase the number of National Army soldiers to 350,000 and national police to 170,000, and that townships would be built for the national army and police in each province with 1,000 houses for them as incentive for recruitment and retention. The ones who sacrifice for their country's sake must be rewarded, he said. "I will tell Germans to build a township in north, Americans in south and will tell Japan as well which will play a role as my fund for construction the townships." A well-known commander of the Mujahideen and Taliban eras, Salam Rakiti is a resident of southern Zabul province and representative in the national assembly. In the Taliban regime he served as governor of central Maidan Wardak province, and commander of first battalion in Nangarhar. He studied at Madrassas in southern Helmand, Zabul, Kandahar and Ghazni provinces.