Abdullah Abdullah, the High Council for National Reconciliation chair, on Saturday voiced his dissatisfaction over President Ashraf Ghani’s move Friday to dismiss Interior Minister Masoud Andarabi.
Abdullah stated the move was in violation of the power-sharing agreement he signed with Ghani in May last year – a deal that signaled the end of a months-long stalemate that plunged the country into a political crisis following disputed elections.
On Saturday, Abdullah said in a statement that “decisions about Afghanistan interior minister, Mohammad Massoud Andarabi’s removal and introducing new caretakers without consultation and justifiable reasons, is in violation of the political agreement that both sides signed.”
“The decision in the current circumstances is against national interests of the country and is not acceptable,” read the statement.
The National Security Council announced the move in a statement on Friday and said Ghani had appointed former Kandahar Governor Hayatullah Hayat as acting interior minister.
In addition, Ghani has appointed Chief of Army Staff General Yasin Zia as acting defense minister until the return of Defense Minister Assadullah Khalid, who is undergoing treatment for an illness.
The NSC said on Friday the changes in the two ministries are in line with Ghani’s efforts to bring reforms to security organizations, improve the general security situation in the country and accelerate a self-reliance plan.
The NSC did not give further details on Andarabi’s dismissal but sources have said it comes after his failure to arrest militia commander Abdul Ghani Alipour whose forces shot down an Afghan military helicopter in central Wardak province on Thursday killing nine security force members.
According to the source, a senior government official, Ghani had ordered Andarabi to arrest Alipour weeks ago for reportedly having attacked security forces.
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