Afghan politicians, parliamentarians seek revision of BSA with U.S.

Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-13 18:30:59|Editor: xuxin
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KABUL, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Afghan politicians and parliamentarians have termed the so-called security accord with the United States, the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), as a "futile" agreement and called for its revision, local newspapers reported on Thursday.

Under the agreement inked between Kabul and Washington in September 2014, the United States is committed to supporting Afghanistan if the country faces any serious external threat to its territory and will also boost peace and stability in the insurgency-plagued country.

Contrary to the expectations, Afghanistan has been faced with increasing militancy and deadly terrorist attacks since inking BSA and the anti-government militants including Taliban, Islamic State (IS) and like-minded groups have challenged the Afghan government in several fronts.

In the beginning the BSA was considered as a vital agreement by majority of Afghans for bringing security but gradually the Afghans have lost their importance. BSA is now facing harsh criticism from Afghans from all walks of life.

"Leading political figures and politicians including former president Hamid Karzai, former national security advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar and former vice president Yunus Qanooni in a meeting on Wednesday unanimously described BSA with the United States as a "futile platform" and demanded its revision," an English paper The Afghanistan Times reported.

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, according to the media outlet, accused Washington of overlooking the security agreement and criticized it.

The demand for revision of BSA is taking place in the wake of increasing insurgency and recent deadly terrorist attacks by the Islamic State (IS) and the Taliban outfit that have claimed the lives of more than 200 civilians and injured hundreds of others over the past one month.

Earlier another paper the Daily Outlook Afghanistan reported that a number of Wolesi Jirga or the Lower House of the Afghan parliament have called for revision of BSA.

"This agreement should either be executed or cancelled," deputy to Wolesi Jirga speaker Hamayon Hamayon told the Lower House session on Wednesday, according to the paper.

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