Turning away from its expected discussion on proposed cabinet, lower house held lengthy debate on the convert's case. The lower house overwhelmingly decided not to allow the apostate to leave the country and that government should keep a constant watch on him.

The 41-year-old Abdul Rahman, who was arrested last month 16 years after his conversion, was freed on Monday's night from the main Pul-i-Charkhi jail. A primary court first said that Abdul Rahman might face capital punishment that sparked an international outcry.

The judicial affairs committee and the committee of monitoring enforcement of the constitution within the parliament said the Supreme Court and Attorney General's representatives would be summoned for explanations on the case.

The MPs feared clemency in Rahman's case would encourage more people to convert from Islam in Afghanistan. The United Nations said the apostate was looking for asylum and Italy had given consent on granting him shelter. Abdul Rahman went missing since his release.

Religious scholars and the public had also called for execution of the convert according to the Sharia law, on which the constitution is based. Parliament member Aalami Balkhi said Rahman's release can cause instability in the counry because it was a sensitive issue and could easily provoke the people.

Veteran jihadi commander and MP Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf said the Christian convert case was a beginning of spreading Christianity in Afghanistan. "This is not the original case, but Abdul Rahman is just brought forward as a scapegoat," noted Sayyaf.  He suspected countries which want to damage relations between Afghanistan and the West were involved in the plot.

The Supreme Court spokesman Abdul Wakil Omari and the court's senior judge Ansarullah Maulavizada, who chaired the trial said Rahman's release was an irresponsible act. The case was returned back to the office of the attorney general for further investigation, but he was soon freed.

Makia Monir

by/rh