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Parliamentarians on Monday denounced as interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs a request from the Iranian ambassador to the upper house to reject a recently-signed strategic partnership agreement between Kabul and Washington.
The lawmakers said the demand from the new Iranian envoy to Afghanistan, Abul Fazal Zuhrawand, was direct meddling in the country’s domestic affairs and such interference should be stopped in the future.
The envoy issued the call during an introductory meeting with Senate Chairman Fazl Hadi Muslimyar in Kabul last week. Senator Nisar Haris, who also attended the meeting, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Zuhrawand’s remarks showed the agreement was against the interest of Iran.
However, he said Muslimyar told the Iranian diplomat that Afghanistan was an independent country with an elected government and constitution, and Afghans themselves would decide what made their future secure.
Muslimyar said Afghanistan wanted good relations with its neighbours and it had been clarified in the strategic cooperation agreement with the US that Afghan soil would not be used against a foreign country.
Haris slammed the remarks of the Iranian diplomat as against diplomatic ethics, saying that he had no right to interfere in the affairs of Afghanistan.
“I will say the neighbouring countries should not bring their differences to Afghanistan. If Iran is concerned about its national interest, the Afghans also care about their interest. Afghans will support every effort that leads to peace and stability in their country,” he said.
He asked Iran, on behalf of the Afghan parliament, to stop interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. What Afghanis were passing through today was the legacy of neighbours’ interference, he alleged.
Another senator, Mohammad Duad Asas, voiced a similar view, saying that Afghanistan need not take care of Iran’s interest. “Iran has never taken part in Afghanistan’s reconstruction. Signing deals with foreign countries is the right of Afghanistan as an independent state.”
He warned that Iran would continue to make efforts at sabotaging the accord. “If we want something in the interest of the country, the accord must be approved,” he stressed.
“Other neighbouring countries are also expected to express their opposition to the agreement, but the way Iran is opposing it is shameful,” commented Khalid Pashtun, another MP. He said signing the contract was a national decision and a result of foreign interference in the country, claiming the agreement had been signed to protect the country from foreign aggression.
A day earlier, Iran foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast also expressed Iran’s concerns about the strategic partnership agreement. He said since no timetable for permanent US military bases in Afghanistan had been clarified in the accord, and regional countries were worried about the deal.
Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan on Thursday told reporters in Islamabad that Afghanistan was a sovereign country and it was up to the Afghans what kind of relations they wanted with foreign states. He said Pakistani was ready to support every agreement that could bring peace and stability to the Afghan nation.
The lawmakers said the demand from the new Iranian envoy to Afghanistan, Abul Fazal Zuhrawand, was direct meddling in the country’s domestic affairs and such interference should be stopped in the future.
The envoy issued the call during an introductory meeting with Senate Chairman Fazl Hadi Muslimyar in Kabul last week. Senator Nisar Haris, who also attended the meeting, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Zuhrawand’s remarks showed the agreement was against the interest of Iran.
However, he said Muslimyar told the Iranian diplomat that Afghanistan was an independent country with an elected government and constitution, and Afghans themselves would decide what made their future secure.
Muslimyar said Afghanistan wanted good relations with its neighbours and it had been clarified in the strategic cooperation agreement with the US that Afghan soil would not be used against a foreign country.
Haris slammed the remarks of the Iranian diplomat as against diplomatic ethics, saying that he had no right to interfere in the affairs of Afghanistan.
“I will say the neighbouring countries should not bring their differences to Afghanistan. If Iran is concerned about its national interest, the Afghans also care about their interest. Afghans will support every effort that leads to peace and stability in their country,” he said.
He asked Iran, on behalf of the Afghan parliament, to stop interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. What Afghanis were passing through today was the legacy of neighbours’ interference, he alleged.
Another senator, Mohammad Duad Asas, voiced a similar view, saying that Afghanistan need not take care of Iran’s interest. “Iran has never taken part in Afghanistan’s reconstruction. Signing deals with foreign countries is the right of Afghanistan as an independent state.”
He warned that Iran would continue to make efforts at sabotaging the accord. “If we want something in the interest of the country, the accord must be approved,” he stressed.
“Other neighbouring countries are also expected to express their opposition to the agreement, but the way Iran is opposing it is shameful,” commented Khalid Pashtun, another MP. He said signing the contract was a national decision and a result of foreign interference in the country, claiming the agreement had been signed to protect the country from foreign aggression.
A day earlier, Iran foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast also expressed Iran’s concerns about the strategic partnership agreement. He said since no timetable for permanent US military bases in Afghanistan had been clarified in the accord, and regional countries were worried about the deal.
Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan on Thursday told reporters in Islamabad that Afghanistan was a sovereign country and it was up to the Afghans what kind of relations they wanted with foreign states. He said Pakistani was ready to support every agreement that could bring peace and stability to the Afghan nation.
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