Arguments Erupt in Parliament Over Kabul School Attack

Afghan parliament’s Monday session was disrupted following verbal clashes between MPs over Saturday’s deadly attack on the Kabul school, with some lawmakers calling it a genocide, while others characterized it as the killing of Afghans.

The attack left over 60 people killed, all teenage students, and over 150 wounded.

Some lawmakers meanwhile called for the removal of security heads. They said that the government should ensure the safety of the people instead of mourning such incidents.

“When the intelligence agency and other relevant organizations are so unaware, then what is the logic behind their existence?” said Shahgul Rezaee, an MP from Ghazni.

Some lawmakers said that the security agencies, particularly the intelligence apparatus, have failed to protect the people against such incidents.

“Genocide has occurred in one particular area in the last five years. This has no past in Afghanistan’s history,” said Arif Rahmani, an MP from Ghazni.

“Anyone in the parliament who supports this crime, he will be part of the killers of Afghan people,” said Ghulam Husain Naseri, an MP from Kabul.

But some lawmakers said that any attack of this kind is aimed at the killing of Afghans and that such attacks are not genocide.

“We condemn it in the strongest terms. These are terms that are repeated often by government officials, but the public is tired of such repeated sentences,” said Gul Ahmad Kamin, an MP from Kandahar.

The differences were fueled when Logar MP Shahpoor Hassanzoi accused some of his colleagues who called the attack a genocide of spying for other countries.

Referring to such statements, Hassanzoi said: “This is backed by Iran. It has its own agents at the Wolesi Jirga here.”

“They have just buried their children because of a cruel act by terrorists. Instead of condolences, they are increasing their pain,” said Qayum Sajjadi, an MP from Ghazni.

However, the parliament speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani said that the country’s enemies want to disrupt unity among the people by conducting such heinous attacks.

“The anti-knowledge and anti-education created a tragedy by attacking the children and the Sayed-ul-Shuhada school in this holy month,” Rahmani said.

“All Afghans condemn this attack,” said Naeem Wardak, an MP from Maidan Wardak.