At a gathering organised by the Elders Council of the 17th district of Kabul in honour of "Martyr Week," Ahmad Zia Massood, the leader of the National Front Party (NFP), praised the mujahidin leaders in attendance and called on them to come together ahead of next spring's election.
The event held in Kabul was to commemorate the memory of Ahmad Shah Massood, the mujahidin leader who was killed by the Taliban in 2001. "Martyr Week" was approved by the Lower House last year and September 9 was announced as the official anniversary day of Ahmad Shah Massood, labelled a national martyr. The former mujahidin commanders gathered at the event were amongst those who helped lead the fight against the Soviet Invasion in the 1980s and were then embattled in the civil war period that followed.
At the meeting, Mr. Massood, the leader of the NFP, praised the mujahidin leaders and criticized the government for slandering them and alienating them since coming into power.
"It was you who did the jihad, you worked hard, but when the transitional government was formed with the help of international community, all your jihad, heroism and struggles were forgotten," Massood said. "They even accused the heroes of the resistance of being warlords, anti-society and anti-government elements."
Mr. Massood went further to claim the government was trying to prevent the elections from happening. He urged all the mujahidin leaders to unite and participate in the upcoming elections as a strong cohesive political force.
The participating mujahidin commanders also offered criticisms of the current government. They said the administration of President Hamid Karzai had failed to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. They highlighted the persistently unmitigated threat posed by foreign terrorists entering Afghanistan.
"Afghanistan has become a place of mourning. People are getting killed, and there is no political stability," said Mullah Taj Muhammad, a former mujahidin commander.