From Conflict to Stability: A Call for Unity and Peace in Nangarhar

Address to the People of Nangarhar

Keypoints: 

• National Unity: One Afghan nation beyond divisions.
• Security Cooperation: Coordination of people and security forces.
• Peace & Reconciliation: Lasting, dignified peace through dialogue.
• Sovereignty: Rejection of external interference.
• Public Trust: People-centered governance and accountability.
• Development: Rebuilding and improving Nangarhar.
• Regional Connectivity: Afghanistan as a trade hub.
• Sacrifice: Honoring martyrs and security forces.

Nangarhar

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Highly respected brothers, the proud, turban-wearing Shinwari, Mohmand, and Nangarhari people! Our heroic security and defense forces, Respected Mr. Muslimyar, Respected Mr. Mohib, Mr. Stanikzai, all elders, cabinet ministers, my respected sister, Respected Governor; First of all, I offer you the gift of the great leader of humanity; Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings!

I have come here to express my gratitude. I thank the great people of Nangarhar, the Shinwari, and the Mohmand. Most specifically, today you have raised the proud turban of Afghanistan high! You achieved what had not been accomplished in years. You have resurrected the heroic memories of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers! You are their true children; I am proud of you, all of Afghanistan is proud of you, and today I want to congratulate the entirety of Afghanistan on behalf of Nangarhar, and specifically from this center of Ghani Khel in Nazyan district.

That dark cloud, that dark fog, and those wars that people thought would never end, have finally ended. Today, hope has returned. Today, the entire Shinwari district is green again. Today, farming and prosperity have returned, and this is not just a source of pride for Nangarhar, but a source of pride for all of Afghanistan. The reason is that we have reached a successful outcome through a specific equation. What is that equation? The nation, the security and defense forces, and all government institutions have stood aligned in a single line with unity, consensus, and coordination.

I also thank our security and defense forces—the respected Commander of the Army Corps, the respected Chief of Staff, the respected Deputy Minister, Respected Khushal Khan, Respected Ibad Khan, the Police Chief, the Director of National Security, all commanders, and naturally, all members of the Provincial Council. You have truly written a new epic. I hope our poets will compose new epics on this achievement. One day, all of Afghanistan will take pride in this victory. But what was the core issue? Destruction occurred in the past because there was no coordination. Now that coordination has arrived, we stand in a single row, and we work hand-in-hand with the true elders who have risen directly from among the people.

I want to specifically thank Mr. Stanikzai. Our respected tribal elder made a request that the National Security Directorate must support and nurture you. They will protect you forever; as long as I am alive and as long as Afghanistan exists, you will be protected and supported! This equation is being implemented today in Helmand, it is being implemented today in Kapisa, and Inshallah, it will be implemented across all of Afghanistan very soon.

I deeply thank the Director of National Security of Nangarhar for his immense hard work, as well as the Police Chief and the Army Corps Commander. I thank all three of you for working like brothers, standing in a single front, and working for a single objective: the honor and dignity of Afghanistan. You have driven the enemy to the border line; now, Inshallah, Nangarhar is peaceful, and we are just waiting for Momand Dara to be completely cleared very soon as well. In this regard, I want to offer my condolences to the families of all our martyrs and assure them that their memories will never be forgotten by us.

The Framework for a Dignified and Independent Peace

We spoke about peace. We want a peace that is blessed by the holy city of Mecca; is the true path found there, or in Moscow? Listen to what the nation is saying: they ask why some did not go to Mecca but instead went to Moscow? Let them answer this question to the public. Inshallah, peace is coming, but it must be a dignified peace, a sustainable peace, a permanent peace. For the sake of such a peace, I am ready to give my life every single day.

Some individuals make an issue and say, "Give up this presidential seat." This seat does not belong to my father or grandfather that I should simply hand it over; this seat belongs to the nation! If it were my personal property, I would have gifted it. Does the nation give me the authority to abandon this sacred trust to just anyone? Tell me, do you?

There is another point here as well. Certain neighbors say, "We want an Afghanistan in which Ashraf Ghani does not exist." What have we ever done to them that makes them fear us so much?! [Laughter] I do not even possess half the stature of our local elders! [Laughter] This is simply because they harbor a slight fear of intellect; the moment an Afghan discovers intellect and exercises structural prudence, their interests feel threatened!Are these waters the property of my father or grandfather, or do they belong to our nation that our neighbors should claim a right over them? Are the pine nuts ours or theirs? Is the talc stone ours or theirs?

What do I want? I want every Afghan to stand tall, not for Afghans to live in humiliation. Has an Afghan ever accepted a life of humiliation in our history that they should accept it now? We are a people of dignity. And we have seen that once this nation tightens its belt, it achieves all its objectives, does it not? You mentioned that our district governors could not even step out of their offices safely in the past, but today I shout to all of Afghanistan: come and see the Shinwari district with your own eyes! Come and perform the Attan dance with them; come and pray with them; come and stand with them in the mosque. This is how we bring a sustainable peace—a peace in which the dignity of the entire nation is preserved.

If the Taliban want an office in Kabul, we will give it to them tomorrow. We will give it to them in Nangarhar; we will give it to them in Kandahar. If we fail to protect their security during talks, we hold ourselves responsible. During the last ceasefire, 33,000 of their men entered our cities; did anyone tremble with fear? Did they not stand side by side with these security and defense forces, calling them brothers and taking pictures together? Did the public, the youth, the elders, the writers, and our women not engage in debates with them? What was the reason? We are a single, united nation. Afghanistan is a unified nation created by Allah (SWT), and all our past leaders have preserved us continuously over thousands of years, especially following Mirwais Nika and Ahmad Shah Baba. We are not a country created for us by foreigners who can now tell us to come and take ownership of it.

Did Afghans not build this country with their blood? Have we not protected it with our blood? Have we not nurtured it with our blood? Who then has the power to bring this country under the subjugation of someone else? We are not a nation that accepts the dominance or tyranny of others. Yes, friendship, trade, investment, poetry, and celebrating our languages are entirely valid; ask our religious scholars, all of this is legitimate under Sharia law, and we stand united upon it.

Regional Interdependence and Institutional Stability

What is the core issue? The issue is that our neighbors must understand that a stable Afghanistan is vital to their own stability. A healthy Afghanistan contributes to their health; in a peaceful Afghanistan, they can conduct trade, and we can all be interconnected. We always say that we are the Heart of Asia—it is explicitly written in our national anthem—but have I not proved to you by now whether we are the Heart of Asia or not? [Audience responds: Yes!]

In the past, if they closed the Torkham border, Kabul would tremble. Today, if we close Torkham, Islamabad will tremble. However, we are not a people who seek to close doors; we are a people who build, we are a people who connect. Come and look upon Afghans with dignity, and you will see how much hospitality and respect they will offer you. After forty years of conflict, enough blood has been spilled. We will bring an end to the bloodshed, and Inshallah, we will witness prosperity.

In that prosperous future, it is this very youth who will become the President of Afghanistan! Other youth will rise, one after another. You have out of deep respect called me a king today; I thank you profoundly! But governance belongs to the vote of the nation; the presidency belongs to the vote of the people. Whoever fails to serve the nation will be cast aside by the nation. Whoever lacks a clear strategy for the country, the public will listen to them, but tell them, "Thank you, but I will not give you my vote." This, Inshallah, will be the path of dignity and stability. Presidents will succeed one another smoothly without a single tremor of instability, because a democratic system guarantees permanence and peace.

My final point is simple, as you did not demand anything personal from me today—whatever your public needs are, they are granted on my eyes! My promise is that we will ensure the reconstruction of these districts; every home that has been destroyed will be rebuilt. Regarding these districts, our cabinet ministers are present, and fundamental investments will be made here. I have appointed Mr. Qamaruddin Shinwari, Mr. Amarkhil, our sister Malalai Shinwari, and others to personally assess all conditions. I came here today to pledge that I will return, and we will witness a rebuilt, prosperous, and forever-vibrant Nangarhar.

Long live Afghanistan!