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Impartial Member Backs Rahmani as Tensions Remain Unsolved
As tensions remain unsolved, an impartial member of the special committee on Sunday said that the issue over the parliament speaker is considered final and the committee has endorsed Rahmani’s selection as the speaker based on the applicable rules and regulations.
“The problem was solved based on the law and procedures. I can say that Mr. Rahmani is the winner. Specific circles are trying to raise ethnic issues and create challenges,” said Ghulam Hussain Naseri, an impartial member of the 27-member committee.
MP Naseri added that some lawmakers do not want the problem to be solved as they are wishing to nominate themselves by holding another round of elections.
Meanwhile, a number of lawmakers criticized the ongoing situation, saying that specific circles have taken parliament hostage for their personal benefit.
“A parliament is a place where national issues should be discussed and solved but it has been taken as a hostage for specific purposes,” said Abdur Rahman Wardak, an MP from Wardak province.
“Today’s session ended with no result. An interim speaker is needed in order to control the sessions,” said Abdul Qayyum Sajadi, an MP from Ghazni province.
Some lawmakers emphasis that rising ethnic issues in the House hurts the dignity of the parliament and urges the two sides to end their tensions to save public trust on the National Assembly.
Tensions in the Afghan parliament erupted after MPs divided over the selection of Mir Rahman Rahmani as the House Speaker. Rahmani’s rival MP Kamal Naser Osuli rejected to accept the election result.
In the election, Rahmani secured 123 votes of the 244 votes cast while Osuli got 55 votes. The interim speaker of the House announced Rahmani as the winner.
Later on, tensions erupted between the supporters of the two sides. A 27-member committee was formed to resolve the issue between the two sides.
Majority of the committee members endorsed Rahmani’s selection as the Parliament Speaker but 11 members of the committee refused to accept the committee decision.
On the latest development, lawmakers close to Rahmani said the discussions have ended because Rahmani was elected as Parliament speaker by a majority of votes.
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US Justice Department to seek death penalty for Afghan suspect in National Guard shooting
The U.S. Justice Department has announced that it intends to seek the death penalty for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two members of the National Guard near the White House in November, an incident that left one guard member dead and another injured.
Lakanwal, who previously worked with U.S. agencies in Afghanistan before relocating to the United States in 2021, appeared in a federal court this week and pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including first-degree murder.
Prosecutors told the judge they are pursuing “death-eligible charges.”
According to U.S. court documents, Lakanwal is accused of traveling from Washington state to the capital, where he allegedly attacked the two National Guard officers.
A third guard member detained him shortly after the incident. One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, died a day later, while the second, Andrew Wolfe, remains under medical care.
Court filings claim Lakanwal had obtained a pistol shortly before the attack and had also purchased ammunition. Prosecutors say he conducted online searches related to Washington, D.C., before the shooting.
Lakanwal is scheduled to appear for his next court hearing in early May.
China has warned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the terrorist threat in Afghanistan remains severe and requires urgent international attention, citing the continued presence and activities of several extremist groups on Afghan soil.
Speaking at the Council’s meeting on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Chinese envoy Sun Lei said organizations such as ISIL, al-Qaeda and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) are still operating in Afghanistan and pose “persistent threats” to the country and the wider region.
Sun referred to last month’s deadly explosion at a Chinese restaurant in Afghanistan, which killed seven people and was claimed by ISIL-K, as a reminder of the group’s ongoing operational capability. He urged the Afghan authorities to “attach great importance” to counterterrorism efforts and to take concrete measures to prevent the country from once again becoming a hub for extremist networks.
He added that China supports deeper regional cooperation — particularly among Central Asian states and through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) — to jointly confront cross-border terrorist threats, while also helping Afghanistan stabilize its economy.
Pakistan’s envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad also raised concerns, saying the Afghan authorities continue to provide a “permissive environment” for groups such as TTP, al-Qaeda, ISIL-K and ETIM/TIP. He warned that these organizations endanger not only Pakistan but the entire region, and highlighted the risk of advanced weapons left behind in Afghanistan falling into militant hands.
U.S. representative Mike Waltz broadened the discussion, noting the expansion of al-Qaeda affiliates and ISIL-linked groups in West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the resilience of ISIL cells in Syria and Iraq. He said ISIL-K (Daesh) remains a persistent threat in Afghanistan, underscoring the need for sustained and coordinated global counterterrorism efforts.
Regional countries have repeatedly raised concern about terrorist threats in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns, reiterating that it will not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates freed around 108 Afghan prisoners on the occasion of its National Day.
According to the statement, a number of those released have already returned to the country, while the remaining individuals will be repatriated in the near future after the completion of legal and administrative procedures.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to the UAE government and relevant institutions for their cooperation and humanitarian gesture, and assured that efforts to follow up on the cases of Afghan prisoners abroad will continue.
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