Afghans asked to be ready for challenges post-2014

KABUL leaders on Sunday urged Afghans to be ready to bolster the country’s defence.

The warnings echoed during a gathering to mark the first death anniversary of former Kunduz police chief, Abdul Rahman Syedkhili, who was killed in a suicide attack last year.

Former vice-president Ahmad Zia Massoud criticized Karzai’s administration, saying it failed on all fronts and asked people to defend the achievements made so far in the country on the expense of more than one million lives lost.

He believed Afghan soldiers would not be able to counter threats posed by the Al Qaeda and Taliban after drawdown of their foreign counterparts.

“We should be ready both politically and militarily. Only the mujahideen can defend the soil from any aggression,” warned Massoud.

Leader of the Coalition for Change and Hope Abdullah Abdullah said the government lacked a clear future policy, while only two years were left before foreign troop’s departure.

However, President Hamid Karzai, addressing a gathering to mark the International Women‘s Day in Kabul, said the withdrawal favoured the country and assured the nation’s economy would remain stable.

“You should not be worried, instead you should encourage your children to get education,” Karzai said.

Former jihadi leader, Abdur Rab Rassoul Sayaf, said Afghanistan had been librated by mujahideen and they would protect the country in the future as well.

“We should preserve the unity among our ranks at any cost,” he said.

However, Salahuddin Rabbani, son of former president Borhanuddin Rabbani, asked the government to investigate serial killings of former jihadi leaders and other key government figures.

Rabbani, Mohammad Omar former Kunduz governor, Gen. Daud Daud commander of the 303rd Pamir Police Zone, former Takhar police chief, Shah Jahan and Mutab Baig the representative of Takhar at Wolesi Jirga — were all killed in insurgent attacks.

frm/ma/vp

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