Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

MPs Slam Ghani’s Remarks against MoI, MoFA

MPs Slam Ghani’s Remarks  against MoI, MoFA

KABUL - A number of senators have slammed the president’s recent allegations of corruption against certain ministries, warning against a selective or partisan policy on eradicating the scourge.
A day earlier, President Ashraf Ghani told the European Union’s anti-corruption conference in Kabul that many initiatives had been taken to combat graft in Afghanistan.
However, the president regretted, corruption still haunted the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and some other state institutions were still contaminated with graft.
He accused some government departments of creating hurdles to the anti-corruption effort of the government and said the MoI was a hub of corruption while appointments to MoFA were made on ethnic lines.
About the presidential remarks, a Meshrano Jirga member from northeastern Badakhshan province, Gulalai Akbari, asked: “Which office is free of corruption? The president should eradicate graft from all organs before passing such remarks.”
Such statements would fuel tribal and ethnic differences in the country, argued the lawmaker, who called corruption a cancer for Afghanistan. No one should defame a state institution along party lines, the senator believed.
Mohammad Nadir Baloch, another senator, alleged: “The national unity government leaders themselves are a source of corruption; they have failed to keep the promises held out to the people. The government will collapse if it continues to cling to self-interest and discrimination against tribes.”
Second Deputy Chairman Mohammad Alam Ezdyar also hit out at the president for what he called double standards in dealing with the two ministries. “Corruption exists in all state institutions.”
Ezdyar asked the government leaders to think twice before taking decisions as wrong actions might lead to further deterioration in the security situation, poverty and unemployment.
Deputy Secretary Faisal Sami also said denounced the president’s remarks about the two ministries as uncalled-for and against the national interest. “The water is muddy from its source, so we should avoid statements that can damage national interests,” he said.
Meshrano Jirga Chairman Fazal Hadi Muslimyar said: “Corruption is not confined to any particular tribe. “Unfortunately, we can see tribal sentiments among the senators today,”
“The president did not mean to target the acting foreign minister and he does not have any problem with Salahuddin Rabbani, who retains the portfolio despite being disqualified by the Wolesi Jirga months ago,” he added.
Muslimyar said the Meshrano Jirga would not support the president if he promoted his own team and damaged others. But if he was seriously trying to eliminate corruption from the two ministries, the senators would be on his side, he continued. (Pajhwok)