Parliament

KABUL (PAN): The police headquarters on Tuesday asked the Wolesi Jirga to issue arrest orders for MP Allah Gul Mujahid, who was accused of grabbing government land, as well as involvement in murder and kidnaps.
At a press conference, the Kabul crime branch chief, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Zahir, alleged Japanese engineers who had gone to Deh Sabz district last week were detained by Mujahid’s armed supporters.

KABUL (PAN): The Meshrano Jirga on Monday approved the new election law, amid calls from the poll panel, political parties and civil society groups for early adoption of the amended draft.
The upper house decided the parliament would endorse any delay in the elections, scheduled for May 2014, in case of case of an unfavourable security environment or natural calamity.

KABUL (PAN): The Meshrano Jirga on Sunday approved another 15 articles of the new election law and decided to ratify the rest at a special session tomorrow, amid calls from the poll panel, political parties and civil society groups for early approval of the amended draft.

KABUL (PAN): Some foreigners were making hectic efforts to divide Afghananistan, a number of parliamentarians alleged on Sunday, saying the Afghans would never allow such sinister conspiracies to succeed.
A day earlier, President Hamid Karzai claimed several foreign countries, including Pakistan, were in a bid to fuel anarchy in Afghanistan by trying to promote a federal system there. He claimed such efforts had been ongoing over past six months, but the endeavours would not come to fruition.

KABUL (PAN): Low capacity of construction firms, interference in awarding contracts and material supply problems have led to improper execution of road projects, the public works minister told parliamentarians on Saturday.
Najibullah Ozhan, testifying before the Wolesi Jirga, said big road projects were yet to be initiated despite the passage of 11 years. The roads already built were of poor quality, he added.

KABUL (PAN): The Meshrano Jirga on Saturday approved another 20 articles of the new election law, but rejected a lower house-amended provision on district and village council elections. Instead the Senate adopted a government version.
In its previous two sessions, the upper house approved 30 clauses of the amended electoral law and gave its consent to another 20 provisions on Saturday. The law has 16 chapters and 79 articles.

Members on Tuesday asked the government to mount military pressure on the armed opposition and strengthen intelligence and detective forces.
The call came as four suicide bombers and three Afghan guards were killed in a botched Taliban attack on the Presidential Palace, raising doubts about peace talks among the Taliban, the US and the Afghan government in Qatar.
Senate Chairman Fazl Hadi Muslimyar told today’s session that in order to improve security and bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, it was necessary to exert military pressure on the rebels.

GARDEZ (PAN): A parliamentarian survived escaped unhurt but four of his bodyguards were wounded in a bomb attack in southeastern Paktia province on Wednesday noon.
The bomb, placed in a roadside dustbin in the provincial capital, went off as Wolesi Jirga member Abdul Hanan Haq Wayoon's vehicle passed through Hassankhel area.

KABUL (PAN): Wolesi Jirga members on Wednesday criticised the composition of a government-appointed team for investigating the Deh Sabz clash between police and protesting residents.
While ending the session before noon in protest, the house decided to form and send its own team to probe the incident that took place in the Pul-i-Charkhi area on June 24.

KABUL (PAN): Two Meshrano Jirga -- upper house of parliament -- members on Wednesday came to blows after exchanging harsh words over the draft election law, officials said.