Jamiat-e-Islami party issued a statement late Tuesday and called on President Ashraf Ghani to review his decision over the ousting of northern Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor.

The statement comes after the Presidential Palace said on Monday that Ghani had approved the resignation of Noor, who is also the chief executive of Jamiat.

The statement said Ghani had appointed Engineer Mohammad Dawood as Noor’s successor.

The Jamiat statement comes after two days of meetings between members of the party who have announced their support for Noor and said: “The resignation announced by the Presidential Palace is not legitimate.”

It also said that based on the National Unity Government (NUG) agreement, any “unilateral decision and one without approval of the other party would affect the principle of partnership and remove the legitimacy of government.”

The statement said that government was violating conditions of the NUG’s agreement and that Jamiat had the right to defend the public’s rights. 

On Monday evening, Noor addressed a gathering of his supporters in Balkh province, and rejected claims of having resigned. He called on his supporters to take civic action against the decision but to act in accordance with the law.

“Your movements for now must be civic and within the law. If the aggression and threats increase against us, then we can use other options,” Noor said.

He added: “I want to announce from here that my dismissal and apparently my resignation is completely rejected, it is not acceptable and we are rejecting it and we will take further decisions, about this, after consultations with Jamiat-e-Islami and the National Coalition for the Salvation of Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, he called on the international community not to interfere in Afghanistan’s affairs.

Noor’s supporters have said that they will resort to civil action in support of Noor.

“I am ready to give up this rank of general, money and the car, I will be the first person to sacrifice my blood,” said Haseebullah Quraishi, the commander of Public Protection Force in the north.

“Now that they have decided to offer the resignation as a reward, we are ready to stay alongside you (Noor) till the last drop of our blood,” said Abdul Raziq Qaderi, head of the security department of Balkh police headquarters

“We will use all our civil rights which are part of democracy and the right of every Afghan citizen, but we can decide on other options as well if our civic action does not provide results,” said Afzal Hadid, head of Balkh provincial council.

Balkh province is one of Afghanistan’s key provinces in the north. Noor has served as Balkh governor for 14 years.