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‘Loya Jirga not representing majority of Afghan nation’
Posted on November 18, 2011
KABUL (AIP): Movement for Peaceful Transformation of Afghanistan (MPTA) has said the traditional Loya Jirga which began in Kabul is not representative of the nation and the United States aims to secure long-term military bases in Afghanistan through the grand meeting of Afghan elders.In a statement emailed to Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) Thursday the MPTA said that it’s Chief Dr. Farooq Azam had also been invited to the Loya Jirga but he declined to attend the meeting on reason that most of the territory of Afghanistan was not in the control of the government and the Jirga was not representing majority of the people of country.“Most of the soil of Afghanistan is out of the effective control of the government. The assembly cannot be considered traditional Loya Jirga as it does represent majority of the Afghan nation. Similarly, foreign forces are imposed on the country and an armed resistance is continuing against them. In such a situation providing long-term military bases to United States is out of government authority,” it said.The statement said any agreement emerged as a result of the jirga decision could prove to be a cause of prolonging the fighting as permanent military bases of foreign forces was not acceptable to both anti-government armed elements and neighbouring countries.Holding Americans responsible for providing opportunity to Afghanistan’s neighbours for interference, MPTA said the reason of providing military base to US to stop neighbours’ interference was not enough as the US itself had given opportunity to neighbours to interfere with in Afghanistan. It also criticized Afghan security forces saying “The current Afghan forces are not national rather tribal and party based and has no national or religious motive. Increasing its number and providing more weapons to them is not in favour of Afghans. They would always look to others command.”It continued that peace was the first and foremost need of Afghans and issues which could hinder restoration of peace should be avoided.“Nothing has been mentioned in Afghanistan’s constitution about such a Jirga and no such powerless consultative jirgas were held in the history of Afghanistan,” it added.The statement said that the government should have appraised the nation of the agenda of Jirga or it had been provided to participants a month ago so they could have effectively think over it.Dr. Farooq Azam was the deputy chief of Sayyed Ahmad Gillani-led National Front in 1980s. He avoided taking part in factional fighting in Afghanistan after the Mujahideen victory and went abroad.He founded Movement for Peaceful Transformation of Afghanistan (MPTA) a year ago.
Posted on November 18, 2011
KABUL (AIP): Movement for Peaceful Transformation of Afghanistan (MPTA) has said the traditional Loya Jirga which began in Kabul is not representative of the nation and the United States aims to secure long-term military bases in Afghanistan through the grand meeting of Afghan elders.In a statement emailed to Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) Thursday the MPTA said that it’s Chief Dr. Farooq Azam had also been invited to the Loya Jirga but he declined to attend the meeting on reason that most of the territory of Afghanistan was not in the control of the government and the Jirga was not representing majority of the people of country.“Most of the soil of Afghanistan is out of the effective control of the government. The assembly cannot be considered traditional Loya Jirga as it does represent majority of the Afghan nation. Similarly, foreign forces are imposed on the country and an armed resistance is continuing against them. In such a situation providing long-term military bases to United States is out of government authority,” it said.The statement said any agreement emerged as a result of the jirga decision could prove to be a cause of prolonging the fighting as permanent military bases of foreign forces was not acceptable to both anti-government armed elements and neighbouring countries.Holding Americans responsible for providing opportunity to Afghanistan’s neighbours for interference, MPTA said the reason of providing military base to US to stop neighbours’ interference was not enough as the US itself had given opportunity to neighbours to interfere with in Afghanistan. It also criticized Afghan security forces saying “The current Afghan forces are not national rather tribal and party based and has no national or religious motive. Increasing its number and providing more weapons to them is not in favour of Afghans. They would always look to others command.”It continued that peace was the first and foremost need of Afghans and issues which could hinder restoration of peace should be avoided.“Nothing has been mentioned in Afghanistan’s constitution about such a Jirga and no such powerless consultative jirgas were held in the history of Afghanistan,” it added.The statement said that the government should have appraised the nation of the agenda of Jirga or it had been provided to participants a month ago so they could have effectively think over it.Dr. Farooq Azam was the deputy chief of Sayyed Ahmad Gillani-led National Front in 1980s. He avoided taking part in factional fighting in Afghanistan after the Mujahideen victory and went abroad.He founded Movement for Peaceful Transformation of Afghanistan (MPTA) a year ago.