Acting Foreign Minister Accused of Ethnic Cleansing

Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Idrees Zaman accused of ethnic cleansing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after he dismissed several directors from their positions in a short period of time.

A number of lawmakers on Monday called on the Afghan parliament to prevent “such illegal dismissals”.

“Mr. Idrees Zaman has started ethnic cleansing after his appointment as Acting Foreign Minister. He has caused an outcry during the last one week among diplomats and staff of the ministry,” said Habib-ul-Rahman Pedram, a lawmaker from western Herat province.

However, Naseema Niazi, another parliamentarian from southern Helmand province said that reform plans must not be considered as ethnic cleansing.

At the end of Monday session, the Lower House Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani tasked lawmakers to summon Acting Foreign Minister to clarify claims of ethnic cleansing.

Idrees Zaman assumed the position after former Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani resigned from his position last month, citing parallel structures. In his resignation letter to President Ashraf Ghani, Rabbani said that the foreign ministry had been sidelined, and that it was treated as a private Non-Governmental Organization.