Kunar gathering condemns Pakistani attacks

ASADABAD (PAN, asking the government to effectively respond to the aggression.

Religious scholars, who addressed the gathering in Asadabad, the provincial capital, said counterattacks by residents were justified by the Islamic Shariah.

Governor Syed Fazlullah Wahidi, lawmakers from Kunar in the Wolesi Jirga leaders, tribal elders and religious scholars from all the districts attended the assembly.

MP Rafiullah Haideri in his address criticised foreign troops, particularly the US troops, for not helping the Afghans at this time of trouble.

He said the international troops had failed to honour their promises with Afghans and had come to the country for their own interests.

He said the US was duty-bound under the strategic agreement to put pressure on Pakistan to stop the incursions that killed a number of people and displaced hundreds others.

Tribal elder and former jihadi commander Haji Jandad asked the Americans stationed in Kunar to leave the province because its residents were able to protect their areas.

“If you don’t cooperate with us against the Pakistani aggression, then we don’t need you to be here,” he said.

The elder said they could give a tit-for-tat response to the cross-border attacks if they were returned their weapons collected from them by US troops.

Another jihadi leader Syed Waliullah said the US forces had come to Afghanistan at the invitation of Pakistan and they worked in Pakistan’s interests.

He also asked the Americans to leave the province if they had no respect for the strategic agreement between the two countries.

At the end, participants announced the creation of a commission that would enroll young men in districts for jihad against the Pakistani forces.

Governor Syed Fazullah Wahidi said he and the provincial council had reported the cross-border attacks whenever they occurred to the central government.

He said the central government had long been in contact with the Pakistani government through diplomatic channels to put an end to the shelling.

The international community and the United Nations had also been informed about the Pakistani assaults, the governor said.

The gathering also issued a resolution that asked Pakistan to immediately stop the attacks. It asked the international community and the UN Security Council to break their silence on the incursions.

The resolution urged tribal elders and religious scholars across the Durand Line to raise their voice against the Pakistani attacks.

It also asked the High Peace Council Chief, Salahuddin Rabbani, to postpone his visit to Pakistan until a solution to the cross-border attacks was found.

President Karzai and other high government officials were asked to reveal a clear stance on the issue.

ma

Visits: 5