KABUL - The Wolesi Jirga (WJ) commission on monitoring government activities on Monday came under harsh criticism from some lawmakers for failing to reveal a list of individuals involved in land-grab incidents.

About 10 days ago, the lower house unanimously adopted a draft law against usurpation of public and private lands, a major issue facing the war-torn country.

At the time, Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi had said the commission would release a list of individuals having grabbed government properties over the next 10 days.

But today’s deadline passed without the list being made public -- something that sparked criticism from legislators.

Naqibullah Fayeq, who represents Faryab province, said the commission had enough time to prepare the list, but it did not. He accused the panel of not exposing land-grabbers, asking the house to dissolve the body. “We have less courage than the media to expose land-gabbers,” he remarked.

His colleague from southeastern Paktika province, Nadir Khan Katawazai, said the people would think lawmakers had accepted bribes if they failed to reveal the list of land-grabbers.

An MP from Kabul Allah Gul Mujahid said land-grabbers existed on the house commission, but did not name anyone.

“The commission is of no use because illegal occupants of lands are members of it,” he alleged, claiming the government was putting pressure on the commission not to expose land grabbers.

“The commission needs courage to expose land grabbers. If I am among the land grabbers, it should name me first.”

But Fazl Azim Zalmai Mujaddedi, the commission head, said the panel had compiled a 2,500-page report. He said documents which they had obtained showed nearly 50,000 individuals had illegally encroached on government lands. Of them, he said, 150 individuals were occupants of key government positions.

He said the report had been given to the Wolesi Jirga secretariat for its translation into Pashtu. The commission would reveal the list once translated into Pashtu, he promised.

He asked the house to make a prior decision about the fate of government officials to be named in the list.

Mujaddedi said Mujahid should not criticise the commission because he himself had grabbed a few acres of land in the Deh Sabz area of New Kabul City and was opposed the execution of the mega residential scheme.

A few days ago, the commission member, Sher Wali Wardak, said some lawmakers were on the list of land-grabbers.

First Deputy Speaker Mirwais Yasini, who presided over the session, ruled the commission would reveal the list after Eidul Adha. (Pajhwok)