KABUL (TOLONews): President Ashraf Ghani’s legislative order on the use of Afghanistan’s airspace by airplanes and military helicopters of other nations was approved by the only one-third of parliament members in attendance on Saturday.
The new law has four sections and 27 articles, but its details have not been made public.
The law that was approved sets out the specifications for the use of Afghanistan’s airspace by the foreign planes and military helicopters.
For approving or rejecting any outline or draft law, at least 118 MPs should be present at the parliament, but on Saturday two-thirds of the MPs were absent. The present MPs hardly managed to approve the draft.
“It is clear to all of us that currently our airspace is being controlled by others and this law is for the future,” MP Ali Akbar Qasimi said. “The commission claims that Afghanistan’s airspace is not under our control and the law is for the future. Who knows what will happen in the future,” MP Amanullah Paiman said.
Meanwhile, the director of Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) Mahmoud Shah Habibi said next year they will install more radar machines to control military flights in Afghanistan’s airspace.
However, a number of MPs believe that Afghanistan has no control over its airspace. Parliament’s speaker said MPs absence at the house’s sessions is a serious problem that is being faced.
Also, parliament’s first secretary, Abdul Qadir Zazai Watandost, warned if any MP is absent over 40 days, then his membership will be canceled for the next sessions. “If in the next sessions any MP is absent for 44 days, we will have to suspend his job in the future sessions,” Watandost said.
A number of MPs have meanwhile said only when the ministerial nominees come to the parliament for votes of confidence, did more MPs appear at the house.
“They only come on the day that the ministerial nominees come for votes of confidence, to be part of their campaign in the future,” MP Nazifa Zaki said.
“Our colleagues working in this section should prevent absence increases because a person goes away for his personal work and then says ‘ I was ill’,” MP Nader Shah Bahar said.