MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): Former Junbish-i-Millie Islami Afghanistan leader Syed Noorullah Sadat, denying joining the National Front of Afghanistan (NFA), has said he has been elected by the party's executive board and no one could fire him.
Sadat was among nine party members disowned by the Junbish founder, Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, at a gathering at his Shiberghan residence three days back.
In an interview with Pajhwok Afghan News in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, Sadat condemned the meeting as illegitimate and against the party's manifesto.
He accused Dostum of controlling illegal armed men who terrorised people into supporting the Uzbek warlord. "NFA is not a component of Junbish. Dostum can personally be a member of it, but he cannot represent the party in the alliance."
He said they had no expectations from the NFA in terms of the betterment of Afghanistan and the Junbish under the prevailing circumstances.
Sadat ruled out an NFA member becoming the next president that he said should be a person who could unite the nation and had the ability to steer it out of crises. He said the Shiberghan meeting was against the Junbish principles.
Sadat said Dostum had resigned as Junbish chief three years ago when the party was registered with the government. He claimed he became the party president through a ballot conducted by the executive board and that the party had been registered with the government under his leadership.
"Dostum is no more a member or leader of the Junbish. People call him a leader because it has symbolic significance," he said.
He said decisions taken at the Shiberghan meeting had no impact on the Junbish affairs. "Being an elected leader of the party, I reject the decisions."
Sadat said some Junbish leaders, despite differences with Dostum, could not speak openly against him. He warned such irresponsible decisions could lead to the Junbish on the path to dissolution.
"If Dostum continues to violate the Junbish manifesto, it is obvious the party will be fragmented," remarked Sadat, who warned Dostum he would expose his real face to the nation if he continued to create problems and interfere in party affairs.
He said Dostum might be known to many as a good human being, but he knew what mistakes he had committed in his life. "I have much information about Dostum. If revealed, my disclosures could spell trouble for him."
About his 30 years as a close Dostum ally, Sadat said he could not keep mum over the blunders the former army general during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan had committed.
Faizullah Zaki, a spokesman for the party, said Sadat's duty as leader of the party had ended. Dostum is currently part of the NFA leadership council along with Ahmad Zia Massoud and Mohammad Mohaqiq.