Ten nominee ministers secure votes of confidence

The Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) on Saturday voted in favor of 10 nominated ministers, including those for defense, interior, and foreign affairs.

Haneef Atmar secured 197 votes of confidence for the position of the foreign minister; Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal got 205 votes as finance minister; Asadullah Khalid with 206 votes as defense minister and Massoud Andarabi, with 214 votes as interior minister.

Voting was done during a general session of the Wolesi Jirga.

In addition to Atmar, Arghandiwal, Khalid, and Andarabi, other nominees were Bashir Ahmad Tahyanj, with 190 votes, as minister of labor and social affairs; Nisar Ahmad Ghoryani, with 213 votes as minister of industry and commerce; Mohammad Qasim Halimi, with 148 votes, as minister of Hajj and religious affairs; Fazl Ahmad Manawi, with 220 votes, as minister of justice; Abbas Basir, with 197 votes, as minister of higher education and Masooma Khawari, with 154 votes as minister of telecommunication and information technology.

Members of the house said that Saturday’s session proves there is no tribal discrimination in the house as a number of new ministers are from minority groups.