Amid the ongoing controversy over the fate of ousted Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor, the third meeting between Jamiat-e-Islami party and the presidential palace on Sunday ended in deadlock, sources told TOLOnews.
According to the sources, the meeting between representatives ended without any agreements and that the talks have become more complicated.
The first round of talks started last week.
Other sources meanwhile said President Ashraf Ghani will introduce someone as Balkh governor instead of Noor using military power.
According to the sources, the presidential palace has started new efforts to break the stalemate between the president and Noor and has sent interior minister Wais Ahmad Barmack to Balkh to talk with Noor.
In the meantime, Noor said if the talks lead both sides nowhere, he will remain as Balkh governor and won’t leave the province.
Regarding his meeting with Barmack, Noor said Barmack was his guest and they talked on security and political issues, but not regarding the tensions between him and the president.
“Yes he was my special guest, we had friendly discussions not political. However we also talked on political issues such as where is the war at and how to bring order and how to set good plans for maintaining security,” said Noor.
“I talked with the governor over bringing reforms in the police and also talked on security issues,” Barmack said.
Holding the constitutional Loya Jirga, issuing the new electronic national identity cards based on the approved law, changing the government system, giving Jamiat-e-Islami party its full share in the National Unity Government and keeping Noor on as Balkh governor are the key demands of Jamiat.
A number of political affairs analysts meanwhile said both Ghani and Noor are working for their own interests and they don’t care about the welfare of the nation.
“Both President Ghani and Atta Mohammad Noor work for their personal interests and it is people that suffer at the end of the day, not Ghani and Atta,” political affairs analyst Hasibullah Stanikzai said.
Although Noor blames the Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah of plotting against him, Abdullah said Monday that he does not want the country to become destabilized.
Noor before this had said that Abdullah has played a big role in the approval of his resignation by the president.
Abdullah in reaction to Noor’s remarks said if he remains silent it does not mean that he has nothing to say, but he remained silent for the sake of national interests.
“If we did not talk somewhere, it does not mean I have nothing to say about the establishment of the NUG, the work that has been done and the work that has not been done. But we mentioned everything under the framework of the national interests and always wanted that our action should not destabilize the country,” said Abdullah.
Meanwhile, a number of former Jihadi leaders said in a meeting on Monday in Kabul supporting, that was in support of Jamiat-e-Islami stance against the presidential palace, that the National Unity Government is conspiring against Noor and Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq.
“President do you know of the country’s situation? If you are told that everything is OK, it is not. Trust me they are digging your grave,” Gul Haidar, a former Jihadi commander said.
The move to oust Noor from Balkh has been met with sharp criticism by Noor and a number of his supporters and raised concerns among the people, especially among the residents of northern Balkh province.