Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Meshrano Jirga Demands Probe into Baghlan Massacre

Meshrano Jirga Demands Probe into Baghlan Massacre

KABUL - The Meshrano Jirga or Senate Sunday criticized sending 300 American soldiers to southern Helmand province and demanded investigation into civilian deaths in northern Baghlan province..
The upper house also condemned the killing of deminers in Baghlan and asked the government to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice. 
On Friday, gunmen pulled 13 Hazara tribesmen from vehicles en-route to central Daikundi province in Tala-wa-Barfak district of Baghlan and killed them.
Another five Shiite were injured in the attack, for which no group has asserted responsibility for so far.
Senate chairman Fzal Hadi Mulsimyar told Sunday’s general session the attack on Hazara people was aimed at dividing Afghans on sectarian lines. 
“We strongly condemn the Baghlan incident, we share our grief with the victims’ families. We want local and central authorities to arrest the murderers and bring them to justice.”
He also tasked the house internal security and defence affairs committee to follow government’s investigation into the incident.
Other legislators also demanded urgent probe into the Baghlan incident, which they called as barbaric. Abdullah Qarlaq, Meshrano Jirga secretary, believed Daesh was involved in the attack.
US troops deployment to Helmand
Reports suggest that 300 US military personnel will be deployed to Helmand province in spring to help train Afghan security forces.
Senator Rahmatullah Asakzai from southern Kandahar province, the move would not resolve Helmand’s problems but would increase them.
He criticized the US and NATO: “War and military development could not bring peace. Every neighboring country that finances and supports terrorists should be put under pressure.”
According to him, earlier 25,000 foreign troops existed in Helmand but there was still insecurity wasn’t and now the expected 300 more US soldiers could never cope with security issues.
He said until foreign forces were not expelled from Afghanistan, peace would continue to elude Afghanistan, he believed.
Senator Shir Mohammad Akhundzada from Helmand asked the unity government to resolve their differences because their differences were hurdle to resolving the country’s security problems.
Some other lawmakers said deployment of 300 US soldiers couldn’t resolve Helmand’s problems and the US should put pressure on countries which supported insurgents.
Muslimyar said the 300 US soldiers were being deployed to Helmand based on the security agreement, but the move should be aimed at defending the Afghan people, not enhancing the conflict.
Deforestation in Kunar
Senator Taib Atta from Kunar said forests the eastern province belonged to all Afghans, but more than 3,000 trees were daily cut illegally and most of the wood was smuggled to Pakistan.
He said local Kunar officials were powerless to control deforestation and the central government should take steps in this regard.
Lawmaker Mohammad Hassan Hotak also expressed concern over deforestation in Kunar and asked the Meshrano Jirga’s administrative board to dispatch a delegation to investigate the matter.
Finally, the house decided to send a delegation to Kunar on Monday to probe forest cutting.
Muslimyar called Kunar forests as national asset and stressed their protection and preservation as moral duty of Afghan people.
Muslimyar said a delegation would be sent to Kunar on Monday to investigate the matter. According to him, the cutting of trees had sparked a dispute between the governor and the police chief of the province. He stressed the Meshrano Jirga delegation should probe the topic with neutrality. (Pajhwok)