KABUL - Afghan senators have voiced concerns that neighboring countries will "interfere" more in Afghanistan upon the withdrawal of NATO, and urged the government to sign the much-discussed US long-term strategic agreement before 2014.
Speaking at the Senate General Assembly on Sunday, Senate Chief Fazal Hadi Muslimyar suggested that without the Afghan-US long-term agreement, neighboring countries will increase their interference.

Senator Khaliq Dad Balaghe agreed: "The influence of neighbouring countries and malevolent countries like, Pakistan, Iran, must be cut off from our society. We should take care of Afghanistan's national interests, therefore, Afghanistan should sign long term strategic pact with America."

Another senator described the delays over the pact as a kind of betrayal.
"If the treaty is not signed before 2014 and is delayed, I think this is a political betrayal," Senator Hadayatullah Rehaye said.

The senators asked President Hamid Karzai to send the agreement material to the National Assembly for review.
The concerns were raised despite Afghanistan and the US signing a prison transfer document on Friday which ensures Afghans take over responsibility of Bagram prison - one of the conditions demanded by Karzai for the long-term strategic partnership agreement to happen.

The Afghan government has stressed the transfer of Bagram prison and an end to night raids as two key conditions that need to be met before it would sign the agreement.
Some Afghan officials last week told TOLOnews that Washington had suspended talks on the US-Afghan strategic partnership agreement. (Tolo News)