Amid criticism: Afghan spy agency says MoU with ISI embryonic
The MoU with Pakistan will only be legalised after passing through five phases, says Afghan spy agency
The MoU with Pakistan will only be legalised after passing through five phases, says Afghan spy agency. PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
Giving in to mounting pressure on the administration of President Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s top spy agency said on Sunday that an intelligence-sharing deal with Pakistan has not been finalised yet.
Former president Hamid Karzai, known for his anti-Pakistan views, joined the chorus of criticism against the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Karzai, who met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday during a stopover while en route to China, advised President Ghani to bin the MoU and “avoid agreements against the national interests”. Senior former militant leaders, including Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf and representatives of Hizb-e-Islami’s splinter group, are also putting pressure on the government to scrap the agreement.
In this backdrop, the NDS issued a statement on Sunday to cool down the frayed tempers. “The MoU with Pakistan will only be legalised after passing through five phases,” it said. “The president will specify framework, powers and limits of the agreement.”
“Experts at the concerned government organs [NDS, foreign ministry, national security adviser and chief executive officer’s office who directly report to the president] review contents of the draft,” the NDS said. The National Security Council will have exclusive discussion on the MoU.
Political, militant leaders and elected representatives will review the agreement to evolve a national consensus and that the draft will formally be handed over to Pakistan. “The NDS is determined to keep Afghanistan’s national interests in mind before finalising any deal with intelligence agencies of other countries,” the spy agency said.
Afghan officials say the MoU was signed during the recent visit of the ISI Chief Lt-Gen Rizwan Akhtar to Kabul. The presidential palace and the NDS spokesman had defended the agreement, calling it a part of the growing bilateral cooperation with Pakistan in various fields.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2015.
Giving in to mounting pressure on the administration of President Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s top spy agency said on Sunday that an intelligence-sharing deal with Pakistan has not been finalised yet.
Former president Hamid Karzai, known for his anti-Pakistan views, joined the chorus of criticism against the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Karzai, who met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday during a stopover while en route to China, advised President Ghani to bin the MoU and “avoid agreements against the national interests”. Senior former militant leaders, including Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf and representatives of Hizb-e-Islami’s splinter group, are also putting pressure on the government to scrap the agreement.
In this backdrop, the NDS issued a statement on Sunday to cool down the frayed tempers. “The MoU with Pakistan will only be legalised after passing through five phases,” it said. “The president will specify framework, powers and limits of the agreement.”
“Experts at the concerned government organs [NDS, foreign ministry, national security adviser and chief executive officer’s office who directly report to the president] review contents of the draft,” the NDS said. The National Security Council will have exclusive discussion on the MoU.
Political, militant leaders and elected representatives will review the agreement to evolve a national consensus and that the draft will formally be handed over to Pakistan. “The NDS is determined to keep Afghanistan’s national interests in mind before finalising any deal with intelligence agencies of other countries,” the spy agency said.
Afghan officials say the MoU was signed during the recent visit of the ISI Chief Lt-Gen Rizwan Akhtar to Kabul. The presidential palace and the NDS spokesman had defended the agreement, calling it a part of the growing bilateral cooperation with Pakistan in various fields.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2015.