PESHAWAR: The recent plain talk by Uzbek warlord General Abdul Rasheed Dostum, presently the First Vice-President, has angered both President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Dr Abdullah and triggered a new debate in Afghanistan.
Dostum had accused them as well as National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar and NDS chief Mohammad Masoom Stanekai of nepotism and favouritism and complained of the discrimination against ethnic minorities such as the Uzbeks. Regarding President Ghani, Dostum said he favoured his fellow Pashtuns in appointments and particularly liked those who spoke Pashto with the Logari accent of his native Logar province.
In Dostum’s view, Dr Abdullah was a weak man who was disliked all over Afghanistan and who favoured his Tajik supporters by giving them jobs and good positions.
The President’s office was angered by Dostum’s comments and it asked the relevant justice ministry for investigating his allegations and providing evidence. Dostum’s remarks were also debated in the parliament with MPs supporting or opposing him. Many MPs termed the unity government as “the disunity government” and said it had failed to deliver on its promises.
Dostum has gradually moved away from President Ghani as he complained he was given no powers despite being the First Vice-President. He often stays out of the country or in northern Afghanistan where he has his strongholds in Jauzjan, Faryab and Saripul provinces. However, Taliban have been gradually encroaching in these provinces and now pose a challenge to his dominance. Dostum recently led the third military action against the Taliban fighters. His previous two military campaigns didn’t achieve much as the Taliban fighters after being pushed back reoccupied most of the territory soon after Dostum’s departure from the scene of action.
Punishing the Islamic State: Both the Afghan government and the Taliban pledged to track down the Islamic State, or Daesh, fighters who allegedly kidnapped more than 30 people and killed 26-30 of them subsequently in Ghor province. This was a rare occasion that the Afghan government and the Taliban were on the same page due to their hatred towards the Daesh.
The Afghan government said the deaths of civilians would be avenged. The Taliban also made the same pledge and termed the IS attackers as thieves and abductors. However, despite their pledges to fight the Islamic State there is no move or possibility for peace talks between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State has extended its control in the eastern Nangarhar province by capturing most of Pacheer district after evicting the Taliban fighters and also the small government force. The fighting in the Pacheer-Agam area continued for days. The villagers also picked up arms and backed the Taliban in the fighting against the Islamic State, which is also controlling parts of neighbouring Achin and Kot districts in Nangarhar. The Islamic State has also emerged in the central Ghor province, in Jauzjan in northern Afghanistan and in Kunar in the east.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/161681-Dostums-plain-talk-angers-Afghan-president-CEO
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