Wolesi Jirga approves Afghan-US strategic pact

KABUL or lower house of Parliament on Saturday approved the US-Afghan strategic partnership agreement by an overwhelming majority.

Of the 199 parliamentarians present, 195 MPs approved the deal and only four members of the Jirga rejected the agreement.

The crucial national interest document was signed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his American counterpart Barak Obama on May 1^st.

It was presented to the general session of the Parliament by the foreign affairs commission of the house on Saturday.

Mohammad Noor Akbari, deputy head of the commission said the Wolesi Jirga had discussed the pact with all its respective commissions and no members of parliament opposed the deal with the United States.

Ahead of the voting some members of the lower house left the session in protest. The MPs wanted to debate before tabling it for approval.

Speaker, Abdul Raof Ibrahimi urged MPs to raise green cards for the approval and red cards for disapproval on the strategic deal.

MP Huma Sultani, representing the southern Ghazni province, was among the members that rejected the deal.

She told Pajhwok Afghan News that she had launched fruitful efforts for peace in the country, but the international community, especially the US did not value her efforts and opened a political bureau for Taliban in Qatar.

Another MP Abdul Raof, presenting northeastern Badakhshan province, also disapproved the agreement, saying “I therefore disapproved the deal because there was no respect for religious values and places.”

He said after the approval of the agreement, the US would start controlling  Afghanistan and other Islamic countries  to achieve its goals.

Meanwhile, some media outlets alleged that Iran has allocated a staggering  $25 million to bribe Afghan lawmakers to block parliament from approving the strategic cooperation pact.

The neighboring country allegedly paid large sums of money to a Wolesi Jirga member, Hazrat Ali to influence other lawmakers to oppose the deal.

The pact would now be send to the Meshrano Jirga or upper house of the Parliament for approval.

mrh/vp

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