KABUL - Wolesi Jirga on Wednesday decided to interpellate defense and interior ministers on the issue of cross-border incursions into eastern Afghanistan. If they fail to satisfy the house, the ministers could be asked to seek a fresh vote of confidence.
Last week, the assembly summoned interior, defense and foreign ministers, as well as the National Directorate of Intelligence ('NDS) chief, to answer queries from lawmakers on the rocket and missile raids from Pakistan territory.
Over the past one year, hundreds of rockets and missiles have been slammed into several districts of Kunar, killing and wounding dozens of people and forcing hundreds of families into displacement.
As the top security officials reached the house today to answer legislators' questions, members changed their decision and demanded the ministers' interpellation. Following a lengthy debate, the majority of lawmakers supported the demand.
Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said that in line with the constitution, the ministers should have been informed in advance why they were being subjected to the parliamentary procedure.
Once the constitutional requirement was met, he said the ministers would come to the Wolesi Jirga on Saturday. Under the relevant law, a Cabinet member could be called for questioning on demand from 10 percent of MPs.
A minister can be unseated if the majority of members vote against him directly and on the basis of a strong justification.
A day earlier, Interior Minister Bismillah Mohammadi, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi and NDS deputy head (operations) Dr. Zia appeared before the Meshrano Jirga on the incursions.
Mohammadi said so far one thousand rockets had been fired into Dangam, Narai, Sarkano and Marawara districts of Kunar. A government delegation found the Pakistan army and intelligence were behind the attacks, the minister added.
"Heavy weapons with the Taliban are B-1 missiles, machine guns and mortars. The rounds of rockets we have found are available only to Pakistani forces," the minister explained.
The minister insisted that Afghan forces were ready to give a tit-for-tat response to Pakistani attacks, if allowed to do so. "It does not matter if we don't have heavy weaponry; we have the spirit to lay down our lives for the country." (Pajhwok)