KABUL - Wolesi Jirga speaker on Monday asked President Hamid Karzai to annul the National Security Council's decision directing defense and interior ministers to continue working until their replacements were appointed.
On Saturday, the lower house grilled Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak and Interior Minister Bismillah Mohammadi on the issue of incursions from Pakistan's soil. But parliamentarians, unsatisfied with the ministerial explanations, voted to unseat them.

But a day later, the NSC directed the two to continue working until their replacements were nominated. The meeting, chaired by Karzai, also praised the services of Wardak and Mohammadi.

Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, however, slammed the NSC decision as illegal. Under the relevant law, a minister who failed to survive a no-confidence vote could not work in an acting capacity, the speaker claimed.

Ibrahimi wanted Karzai to respect house decisions in the interest of good governance and rule of law. "I urge the president to avoid appointing the two men as acting ministers as a token of respect for the constitution and supremacy of parliament."

Karzai would be sent a letter, seeking the nomination of presidential picks for the posts, the speaker said. Lawmakers endorsed Ibrahimi's remarks by clapping their hands.

Meanwhile, the house endorsed three accords, including the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Also ratified by the lower house were a strategic cooperation with Italy and a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation agreement on trade in services.

The accords were presented before the house by the commission on international affairs. A member of the commission, Jafar Mehdavi said that parties to the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism could take advantage of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Another member of the panel, Mohammad Daud Kalkani said Italy would cooperate with Afghanistan in spheres of good governance, economic development, security, cultural and media cooperation under the strategic agreement. (Pajhwok)