Senators to consult Ghani over cross border attacks

KABUL members on Sunday said the aggression should be prevented under the security deal with the United States.

Afghanistan soon after President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was inaugurated nearly two weeks ago.

The deals will allow nearly 10,000 American and some NATO troops to stay on beyond the end of the year to assist and train Afghan security forces.

Under the deal, in case of any external threat, both the US and Afghanistan will have to contemplate an appropriate response including military measures.

In light of a section of Article 6, both parties should regularly consult each other on political, diplomatic, military and economic measures to form an appropriate response in the event or the threat of external aggression against Afghanistan.

Afghanistan enjoys good relations with all its neighbours except Pakistan. Over the past three years, Pakistani forces have been firing rockets into eastern Afghan provinces. The attacks continue despite the security deal between Kabul and Washington.

A member of the upper house from eastern Kunar province, the most affected region of the Pakistani attack, Rafiullah Haideri, told the general session that Pakistan stopped firing rockets into Kunar for two days after the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) was signed, but later resumed the attacks.

“The people had long been waiting for the security accord, thinking it would help stop the rocket attacks, but it did not help,” the lawmaker said.

He claimed 75 rockets were fired on Monday morning from Pakistan into Dangam, Narai and Sarkano districts.

A large number of families had migrated to neighbouring Nangarhar province, where they lived without shelter and food, he said. He said Afghanistan and the US should have taken action against Pakistan soon after signing the security deal.

His colleague from central Bamyan province, Hidayatullah Rehaee, said security problems had increased in the country after concluding the BSA.

“In addition to other cities, the security situation in Kabul has also deteriorated. We see no lull in Pakistani rocket attacks and suicide bombings,” he remarked.

The legislator urged the new government of Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai to adopt a clear political stance against Pakistan and prevent the neighbouring country from further harassing the Afghans.

Haji Amanullah Azimi from central Uruzgan province said: “The security accord with the US has no positive outcome so far. Attacks are being staged in Kabul and provinces; Pakistan is firing rockets on Kunar. We have signed the BSA in order to have security.”

A Kuchi tribe representative Farid Kuchi said rockets attacks from Pakistan into Kunar had lately increased.

“We have signed only one agreement, if we sign a thousand like this, neither peace will come nor Pakistani attacks will end,” he believed.

Second deputy chairman Rafiullah Gul Afghan, who presided over the session, said lawmakers had repeatedly urged the government to respond to the Pakistani attacks and the government had also tried to do so, but the naked aggression continued.

“It is unfortunate that the Pakistani attacks did not stop despite the signing of the security agreement,” Afghan said, adding lawmakers would soon be meeting the new president in this regard.

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