Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

MPs Call on Govt to Answer Over Leaked Letter

MPs Call on Govt to  Answer Over Leaked Letter

KABUL - MPs have called for government to respond to claims of discrimination by the interior ministry, which called for applicants from different ethnicities bar Tajiks.
A number of lawmakers on Monday called on government to respond to the interior ministry’s discriminatory document that was sent by the commander of the Afghan Public Protection Forces (APPF) to officials calling for a list of candidate recruits for the anti-riot unit, with the exception of Tajiks.
The document, leaked to the media on Sunday, called for a list of names of people of Hazara, Pashtun, Uzbek and other ethnicities – except Tajiks.
MPs condemned the interior ministry’s move and said ethnic division and discrimination was more dangerous than terrorism and that writing a letter of this nature was a crime and treason.
“First those who have signed this should be introduced to the legal and judicial institutions. Second, we want to see a presidential decree to know what is written in it ,” MP Ghulam Farooq Majrooh said.
“This should be investigated thoroughly, and we won’t let anyone create discord among the tribes,” MP Saleh Mohammad Saleh said.
The interior ministry’s APPF unit stated in the letter that based on a presidential order an anti-riot unit will be established. They then called for a list of 500 names of potential candidates, excluding Tajiks.
Parliament’s administrative board slammed the move and said it was worse than acts of terror. 
“I want those who want to provoke discrimination among the nation to be introduced to the Attorney General’s Office. And if such things have been written in the president’s order, I see it equal to national treason,” parliament’s first deputy speaker Humayoun Humayoun said.
Although the interior ministry has said it was a typing error on their part, MPs refused to believe this. They said the move was not a mistake but was a calculated move. They said this could have a demoralizing effect on soldiers on the battlefield. 
“This is not the first and last issue. We have witnessed such discrimination over the last 16 years,” MP Aref Rahmani said. (Tolonews)