Zeenews Bureau
Kabul: Afghanistan’s parliament on Saturday voted to dismiss both the interior and defence ministers over continued cross-border shelling, according to a news report.
According to the initial reports, Afghan government has put the blame on Pakistan Army for the cross-border bombing.
The fractious parliament voted to remove the pair despite their promises to reinforce the border, although President Hamid Karzai has previously opted to keep ministers in their roles in acting capacity after similar votes.
“Both ministers failed to receive votes of confidence and we ask President (Hamid) Karzai to introduce new ministers,” said Abdul Rahoof Ibrahimi, speaker of the house, after a bitter debate that underscores the problems in store for Karzai’s administration ahead of 2014 presidential elections.
Afghanistan has rushed additional troops and long-range artillery to the mountainous Pakistan border as tensions continue to rise over cross-border shelling which Afghan officials blame on Pakistan’s powerful military.
Afghanistan has for months accused Pak Army of firing hundreds of rockets into the two eastern provinces of Kunar and Nuristan, targeting insurgent havens, but also forcing Afghan villagers to flee their homes and angering the parliament.
First Published: Saturday, August 04, 2012, 17:19