New minister for counter-narcotic Zarar Ahmad Moqbel wins vote of confidence
New minister for counter-narcotic Zarar Ahmad Moqbel wins vote of confidence amid favor and criticism
By: Abdul Qahar Sarwari
Mr.Zarar Ahmad Moqbel who is a former Afghan interior minister and a key supporter of President Hamid Karzai during presidential election secured the overwhelming vote of Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of parliament in January and became as counter-narcotic minister in the new cabinet of president Karzai.
The reason why I have focused on Mr. Moqbel to write while there are 24 more ministers?
Really it is an important question that in spite of criticism, rumors Mr. Moqbel had been nominated as cabinet minister by the president after presidential election.
Like many other officials, Moqbel had also accused of involvement in misusing power, malpractice, embezzlement, corrupting and backing bandits. Even some lawmakers at Wolesi Jirga were against him to find way in new cabinet.
Even there were rumors that some particular western countries include UK were against Mr. Moqbel and had attempted to block Mr. Moqbel way in gaining endorsement from parliament especially to become as counter-narcotic minister .
As an Afghan writer and journalist I have decided to analyze the reason for Mr. Moqbel’s success in securing strong support from parliament and finally found that all opposition to him and rumors against him to block his way to the cabinet were based on funny and nonsense reasons such as lingual, tribal and personal differences.
Firstly the overwhelming support of MPs at lower house in favor of Mr.Zara Ahmad Moqbel changed all guesses and estimations about him and showed that he enjoys enough support among the Afghan people , even furthermore than those figures who have the control of key departments.
Secondly, Mr. Moqbel is a young, educated, intellectual and active figure who had served people in the past as interior minister and opened the new chapter for Afghan national police and its reform.
Those Afghans particularly the policemen and security officers are of the view that Mr. Moqbel is a right person and eligible to lead the interior ministry. All those who worked under his leadership in interior ministry have good memories and were relaxed with him.
Thirdly, Mr. Moqbel was an active element during Afghan Jihad against the former Soviet Union and also resistance against Taliban and terrorists, but he never was an armed commander or warlord as some people claimed. Rather he was an active figure and elder in political, cultural, logistical and administrative sections. He also had close relations with late commander Ahmad Shah Massoud.
Also Mr. Moqbel belongs to an important and more respected family in Parwan province of Afghanistan and this privilege has enabled him to have important role in political and social fields in Afghanistan. Mr. Moqbel enjoys the supports of a powerful network of former commanders, tribal elders, police officers and politicians.
Mr. Moqbel has also served as a key member of the political party Hizbi Jamhuri Afghanistan (Afghanistan Republican Party) and before the presidential elections this party had opposed the candidacy of president Karzai but due to Mr. Muqbil’s influence later the party backed president Karzai in the electoral process.
Keeping all these positive points and key elements, majority of Afghan people especially intellectuals believe that Mr. Moqbel will be a successful figure in his new duty as counter-narcotic minister. Nevertheless, Afghans believe that support of international community would have key role in fighting narcotics and other missions in Afghanistan.
Afghans also expect that and international community and foreign friends of Afghanistan ought to Afghanistan to look to this country and its problems through their own glasses and assessment and not on rumors speculated by vested interests.
As the supporters of Afghanistan know that Afghanistan presently is in a fragile and critical situation and any carelessness would negatively affect this country and so, it is advisable to accept truth and follow the positive way.
As it is clear for all that some tribes and sub-tribes live in several parts of Afghanistan, but if we want to have a country we should be a nation and if our supporters want to support a country and a nation, they have to support our unity and integrity.
Some circles and individuals want to divide Afghans to tribes and sub-tribes but we want to be a nation among other nations in the world.
Also some countries because of backing their own puppets and agents blame some independent Afghans but the way is not logic and useful action. End
مردم افغانستان حاضر نيستند تا هيچ امتياز را با آزادي و استقلال كشور خود معاوضه نمايند.
اخيراً عدة از اعضاي ولسي جرگه در مقابل