KABUL - President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Friday appointed former Kandahar Governor Hayatullah Hayat as Acting Interior Minister and Chief of Army Staff General Yasin Zia as Acting Defense Minister, the National Security Council said in a statement.
Hayatullah Hayat replaced Massoud Andarabi who was on a visit to Kandahar for reviewing the security situation of the province in the past recent days.
According to the statement, Former Deputy Head of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance General Ayub Salangi was also appointed as the Deputy Minister of Interior affairs.
General Yasin Zia will serve as Acting Defense Minister until the return of Defense Minister Assadullah Khalid, who is undergoing treatment for an illness, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the National Security Council stated that the changes in the two ministries are parts of bringing necessary reforms in security organizations, improvement in security situations ensuring the protection of the people, and “proper implementation of the 2024 self-reliance plan.” (ATN)