His Excellency Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, participated in and delivered a speech at a ceremony held in the hall of the National Radio and Television on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of the withdrawal of the former Soviet Union’s forces from Afghanistan. A number of cabinet members and officials of the Islamic Emirate were also in attendance.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs stated that February 15, 1989, is inscribed in golden letters in the history of Afghanistan. For this reason, he extended his congratulations to all citizens of Afghanistan and expressed appreciation to the officials of the National Radio and Television for organizing the ceremony.
H.E. Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi stated that following the coup of February 15, 1989, thousands of religious scholars were buried alive in deserts, prisons, and mass graves, and that subsequent to the Soviet invasion, millions of Afghans were martyred, wounded, disabled, displaced, or forced into migration. Afghans, as in the past, did not accept aggression. By enduring numerous hardships and difficulties, they stood against the Soviet forces and expelled them from Afghanistan.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs added that, regrettably, after the victory, the Mujahideen engaged in internal conflict over power, exposing the people of Afghanistan to regional, ethnic, and linguistic divisions, as well as other calamities. At that time, the late Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid, together with a number of other Mujahideen, rose for the protection of the Afghan people, establishing the rule of the Islamic Emirate and ensuring security.
H.E. Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi further stated that during the jihad against the aggression of Western occupying forces, under the leadership of the late Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid, the martyred Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, and His Highness the Amir al-Mu’minin Sheikh of the Qur’an and Hadith Hibatullah Akhundzada, many scholars, Mujahideen, and leaders of the Islamic Emirate were martyred or imprisoned in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. However, an Islamic Sharia-based government was once again established in the country.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs added that following the establishment of the Islamic Sharia-based government and the restoration of independence, a general amnesty decree was issued by His Highness the Amir al-Mu’minin; nationwide security was ensured; narcotics were eliminated; support was provided to the families and orphans of martyrs and those killed in conflict with the Mujahideen; beggars were gathered and assistance was provided to the genuinely needy; drug addicts were treated; development projects were implemented in the center and provinces; security and defense forces were organized and trained; refugees were properly managed; and other important activities and developments were carried out in the country.
Addressing the nation, H.E. Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi urged the people to value their freedom, express gratitude to Almighty Allah, preserve their unity, and cooperate with the officials of the Islamic Emirate. He also called upon officials to treat citizens with humility and in accordance with Islamic ethics, to avoid arrogance, pride, and all forms of prejudice, and to work, to the best of their ability, to resolve the people’s problems.
