Noor’s Remarks on Attempts to Destabilize Balkh Is Baseless – Security Institutions

Afghanistan’s National Security Council (NSC) and intelligence agency on Wednesday rejected the accusation of government “arming thugs” to destabilize northern Balkh province.

Atta Mohammad Noor, the ousted Balkh governor, on Tuesday accused the two governmental institutions for distributing weapons to specific people at two guesthouses in Kabul.

“The National Security Council rejects claims that were addressed to the Council in a gathering on January 02 in Mazar-e-Sharif. The Council doesn’t have a guesthouse in the mentioned area and the given information is totally baseless,” the NSC said in a statement.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS), Afghanistan’s main spy agency, also lashed out at recent remarks by Noor and called it “baseless”.

In a statement, NDS said the guesthouse is belong to Mohammad Dawoud, the new governor of Balkh, and the Directorate of VIP Protection and Security is responsible for protecting him.

Meanwhile, the new governor of Balkh told Ariana News that there is no document to prove his predecessor claim.

“The remarks made by Ustad Atta was his personnel views. As a high-ranking government official, I have the right to have bodyguards,” said, Eng. Mohammad Dawoud, the newly appointed governor of the province.

He further expressed readiness to assume his position as governor in Balkh, but said he was awaiting for the President Ghani’s order to move in.

This comes as about three weeks ago, President Ghani said in a statement that he has approved the resignation of Balkh governor.

Following the announcement, Atta Mohammad Noor, who is also the CEO of Jamiat-e-Islami Party of Afghanistan, rejected the decision and vowed to fight his ouster.

Yesterday, he said that he was waiting for the result of negotiations between government and Jamiat-e-Islami Party. He reiterated that no official can oust him from the post, except through negotiation.