Yaqoob Mujahid says no basic development was carried out over 20 years

Acting Minister of National Defense Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said Thursday that no fundamental development was carried out in Afghanistan over the 20 years under the republic system.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of Kabul University students, Yaqoob Mujahid said that infrastructure built by the US in that time was temporary and for their use only.

He said however that Afghanistan needs qualified and experienced professionals across many sectors in order to progress.

“If there are no doctors, engineers, pilots, mullahs, scholars… in the country, this country will not progress,” he stressed.

Acting Minister of Interior Affairs Sirajuddin Haqqani also said that over the past five decades, the policy of destruction by colonial countries was implemented in Afghanistan, which led to it becoming difficult to forge unity among the people.

“If you think that destructive policies have been implemented in Afghanistan in the last half century; when one system becomes dominant, another system is placed against it,” said Haqqani.

He added that universities should stay out of politics and focus on science and knowledge because the enemies of Afghanistan want to control the universities first.

He stressed that the Islamic Emirate and himself respect science and knowledge and that “their jihad was not against the country but for its freedom.”

Acting Minister of Higher Education Neda Mohammad Nadim also spoke at the ceremony and said the IEA is committed to the development and advancement of education in the country.

Nadim stated that even though foreigners say they want to see development in Afghanistan, it’s not really what they want.

He added that the IEA “is committed to the development of higher education in the country and has done important work in this field.”

This year, 2,500 students graduated from Kabul University from 70 departments.