Building Trust, Housing, and Urban Renewal: A Citizen-Centered Vision

Speech at the inauguration of the Khwaja Rawash housing project - Kabul 

Keypoints: 

• Building Trust: Restore confidence between citizens, government, and private sector.
• Citizen-Centered Governance: Put citizens at the heart of decisions and benefits.
• Housing & Urban Planning: Provide legal, affordable, and well-planned housing.
• Public-Private Partnership: Engage private sector with government oversight.
• Legal & Property Rights: Secure ownership to empower citizens.
• Transparency & Accountability: Reduce corruption and enforce fair rules.
• Infrastructure & Services: Deliver water, electricity, roads, and sanitation.
• Social Cohesion: Foster community participation and shared responsibility.

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

The First Lady of the country, honorable Minister of Urban Development, esteemed members of the Cabinet, Dr. Qayoumi, Mr. Gilani, esteemed members of the private sector, Mr. Alokozay, Mr. Momand, Mr. Rahimi, sisters and brothers, the Deputy Speaker of the Meshrano Jirga, the Chairwoman of the Commission, representatives of the people, and—most importantly—the people who have waited with extraordinary anticipation to finally become owners today: first and foremost, I offer you the gift of the Leader of Humanity: Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God and His blessings!

Today, a confident step is being taken on a long journey. The vicious cycle of mistrust between the people, the private sector, and the government has been broken. From this day forward, God willing, with complete trust between the citizens, the state, and the private sector, we shall solve the housing crisis facing our noble people. The road is long, but if the first step lacks confidence and credibility, further steps cannot be taken. Therefore, this was a necessity.

Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Mistrust

This project was a test for me. It was a test of whether we could reclaim the trust that the nation had lost. General [Naderi], the words spoken today by you and other elders give me the confidence that we are on the right path and that the nation demands reform. The people do not want corruption; they do not want injustice; they do not want the rule of force. The people want a "servant state," and I am its first servant. Therefore, I offer my congratulations and my gratitude. My thanks go to the enduring patience of our noble people who waited for these apartments. You sold your carpets and your jewelry with the hope that the word of the state could be trusted. Today, I hope every Afghan individual works with the government with that same conviction.

Radical Deadlines and the Culture of Service

I want to express specific gratitude to the Honorable Minister [Sadat Naderi] for establishing a "deadline" in Afghanistan that is truly unprecedented. [Addressing the Minister]: You could have easily told the people this would take nine months, and they would have believed you. But you set a deadline that necessitated working 16 to 18 hours a day. I thank you, Mr. Gilani, Mr. Delawari, and all colleagues; because setting such a deadline means we take the problems of our people seriously. A deadline only becomes meaningful when we truly consider ourselves the servants of the people. With this spirit, fundamental problems will be solved.

Since the Minister was mentioned frequently, I also wish to recognize the collective effort of his colleagues and Mr. Gilani, who fundamentally altered the project’s design to ensure that water reaches every citizen sustainably and at a low cost. Similarly, Dr. Qayoumi and Mr. Delawari have taken massive steps in establishing the electrical grid.

The Virtuous Cycle: Revenue as a Tool for Reform

Do not thank me for allocating 700 million Afghanis. God willing, in the future, it will be 700 million dollars; I hope my words prove prophetic. In this regard, my thanks go to the Minister of Finance. The year we assumed this responsibility [the Presidency], we faced a 400-million-dollar budget deficit. Had that condition persisted, we could not have made this decision for the benefit of our people.

Last year, the Minister of Finance was able to increase Afghanistan’s national revenue by 22%. This creates a "virtuous cycle" ensuring that revenue does not fall into the hands of a limited few—those who spend their days cursing reforms—but instead reaches the people of Afghanistan. I truly thank the Minister of Finance and his colleagues for their consistent cooperation in increasing our national revenue.

Peace, Security, and the Debt to our Martyrs

I must specifically thank the National Security and Defense Forces of Afghanistan. Today, these are the true children of the soil; they have given a new meaning to the word "Soldier" (Sarbaz). We did not seek war. My hope, my desire, and my commitment is Peace. But Afghans do not make peace through Nanawatai (begging for mercy). Anyone who thinks the President of Afghanistan will go to someone through Nanawatai will take that wish to their grave.

Today, we honor the sacrifice of our security forces in the civilian sector in the way they expect. The families of Afghan martyrs—from the Army, Police, and National Security—often lack housing. An officer who has served forty years in this soil, especially during these last sixteen years, and the Mujahid who stands on the front lines, must be certain that when they reach martyrdom, their family will be cared for. My primary commitment in housing remains the families of our martyrs. Furthermore, our refugees are returning and they expect to be owners of legal (Shari’i) housing in this soil.

The Master-Servant Relationship in Governance

Recognition and appreciation have been awarded today. Mr. Minister, my request is that you send me the list of Mr. Bandwal and those who performed extraordinary labor for a first-degree Presidential Award. With this spirit, the field of competition for other ministers is now wide open. I hope that in the future, you receive such accolades from various sectors of the nation. From my side, there is encouragement—and sometimes a little pressure! That pressure is both necessary and mandatory.

Who exerts pressure on me? My "Master" (Badar) exerts pressure on me. Who is my master? The poor of Afghanistan! Who is my master? Those 42% of people who eat only one meal a day and are anxious about tomorrow! My master is the displaced person! My master is the refugee! My master is the poor!

On my first day, I repeated the words of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (r.a.) to you, and God gave me the strength not to bow my head before the powerful, but to remain a servant to the poor. When you say the Minister does not bow before contractors, that is the spirit of this government. God willing, in the future, no official will bow their head to anyone but the people. What does "President" (Jumhoor Rais) mean? Is there a President without the people? Leadership is not about asserting force or chasing gold; leadership is about gaining the satisfaction and heart of the people.

Mobilizing Capital for Affordable Housing

Everything is in our hands. What do you need to create housing? Land, money, citizen participation, and construction capacity. This is not like sending a human to Mars; this is an executable task. It requires correct laws, types of partnership, and above all, "trust capital."

Our first promise is that the state will fundamentally solve the problem of land for housing. Just yesterday, I allocated 9,000 acres of land to the Carpet Union. Let the private sector come forward and say they are ready to invest in housing. But I mean "Affordable Housing"—housing that can be built for 1.5 to 2.5 million Afghanis, not 1.5 million dollars. Leave the million-dollar projects to those who have them; we are looking for the person who cannot afford a home through their salary and hard work.

Secondly, the private sector has capital. When I was with businessmen in Dubai, their estimate was that 16 to 18 billion dollars of Afghan money is held in Dubai banks alone. Our representatives from Pakistan are here; we do not call them "refugees" because they are Afghans, and no Afghan is a refugee in their own home. You have the money, Mr. Alokozay! Give me your hand so we can put this money to work for the citizens and for your legitimate profit.

Engineering Integrity and Transparency

The problem lies in corruption and misplaced priorities. My promise is that we will fundamentally fight corruption so that those who work for the nation are honored.

Regarding the construction sector: I have two proposals for the private sector and the Chamber of Commerce. Any firm that achieves ISO certification will be granted immediate contracts. Otherwise, we have contracted a first-class engineering board to audit all engineers and issue certificates. All government engineers must also be audited. We must know what capacity we have. Contracts will not be awarded based on "who knows whom." No one is a relative of the President; you are all my relatives. The transparent path lies through the High Economic Council and the High Urban Council.

The Moral Compass of Reform

The most important element of participation is the people themselves. Five years ago, you took a great step—you trusted, you sold your jewelry to pay installments. Unfortunately, your trust was broken; fortunately, we have reclaimed it today. I ask the people to join the state and the private sector to solve the housing crisis fundamentally. In Afghanistan, the terms "informal housing" and "internal displacement" and "waiting years for land" must be abolished.

Every day, unfortunately, I am forced to spend three to ten hours on security. But my days are long, and I do not require much sleep; my remaining time is spent on the economy. If God frees us from war, the economy will accelerate. Those who want to impose war on us do so because they know if I am free, the economy will move four times faster. I read the stories of Hazrat Umar (r.a.) in my childhood—he had to stay awake so the nation could sleep in peace.

Therefore, change and reform are mandatory. Mr. Alokozay! Do not fear; this is not a President who flees from reform. This is a President who is prepared to sacrifice his life for reform.

Resisting the "Screamers" of Corruption

What is the fundamental problem preventing the people, the private sector, and the state from coming together? Our problem is corruption, lack of commitment, the failure to respect time, and a culture of "Mastery" (Badari) rather than "Service." The state is not a "milch cow" for personal benefit. The state is solely a tool for service to the nation. A state that lacks the trust of its nation cannot endure. Stability does not come from a gun; stability comes from the trust of the people.

Therefore, let us be confident. I pay no attention to those who are screaming because they can no longer pocket billions of dollars. In death, there is no hierarchy, and wealth does not matter. In the end, a human is alone. You know the story of Rumi: in the end, the only thing that accompanies a person into the grave is their deeds. Neither wealth nor anything else remains.

If I read the pulse of the nation correctly, the nation wants extensive, sustainable, and practical reform. This nation is not a "silent majority"; it has a tongue, a pen, and a resonant voice. Reforms are for the benefit of the people. Only a tiny minority—no bigger than a fingernail—thinks they are in danger. Man! What have I done to you? Let the nation stand; we are with the nation.

A Call to Unity: The Bundle of Sticks

I have a final request. First, to the honorable ministers: implement your promises with the same "strike" speed and specific timetable as Minister Naderi.

My second request is to the residents of the Khwaja Rawash project: step out of your individual lives and become a collective. Form your High Council and participate. Based on your past sacrifices, we transferred 700 million Afghanis to fulfill the state's promise; but without active governance within this township, the project will not endure. Share in each other’s grief and joy. Hand in hand, create an atmosphere of trust.

You have heard the story: A father on his deathbed called his nine sons. He gave them a bundle of sticks and asked them to break it. Each failed. Then he untied the bundle and gave each son a single stick; they snapped them easily. He told them: "In unity there is strength. If you are not united, people will snap you like those individual sticks."

This is my request. Unite and take your share. Whether it is one Afghani or ten, if you spend it together, your trees and your roads will be protected. Now that an atmosphere of trust has been created, take the next steps. God willing, we will support you. Invite me back in one year so I can see the changes you have made.

Thank you to everyone! Yasha-sin Afghanistan! Zenda bad Afghanistan! May the atmosphere of trust between the state, the people, and the private sector endure forever!