KABUL - Several Wolesi Jirga members on Saturday strongly criticized the government for not "enthusiastically" celebrating the Mujahideen's Victory Day, saying the lukewarm response on the day was an insult to the values of jihad.
The day was commemorated in Kabul on Wednesday in a ceremony, attended by both vice-presidents, several cabinet members and representatives from both houses of parliament, at the Ghazni Stadium, where they paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence and sovereignty.

However, the event honoring Mujahideen's victory over the communists in the 1980s could not be celebrated in a grand scale over the past four years in Kabul due to fear of Taliban attacks. Two years ago, the Taliban attacked a gathering celebrating the event in Kabul, killing five people.

Mohammad Yunus Qanoni, a lawmaker from Kabul, said the government should observe the day with national pride and full of enthusiasm, but a low-profile celebration by the government reflects it had no respect for the victory and the jihad.

"When the government can take tight security measures for the Loya Jirga, then why is it reluctant to do the same for the Mujahideen's day," he asked, calling on fellow lawmakers to break their silence against the government's failure to mark the day with national fervor.

Another lawmaker from western Herat province, Khalilullah Shaheedzada, also expressed similar views, saying the government should not neglect the day. "The Afghans have rendered countless sacrifices for this day that deserves to be marked with national zeal," he said.

Allah Gul Mujahid, an MP from Kabul, said the government had enough resources to provide security to celebrate the event but it would not do so. He asked the government to explain why it did not celebrate the victory occasion.

Two days ago, Defense Ministry spokesman, Gen. Zahir Azimi, told Pajhwok Afghan News that this year the Mujahideen's day would be celebrated in a simple fashion in Kabul in line with a decision of the National Security Council.

President Hamid Karzai and a number of jihadi leaders attended a gathering at the Presidential Palace to celebrate the day.
Karzai told participants of the gathering that Afghanistan had achieved some of the jihad's goals and was trying to attain the rest. The president hoped Afghans would be able to shape the destiny of their children without any foreign support.