Unity, Resilience, and Progress | Meeting with people of Badakhshan

Keypoints: 

• Honor and Sacrifice: Badakhshan’s sons and daughters defend Islam, sovereignty, and dignity. Your sacrifice is honored.
• Shared Grief: Badakhshan and Nangarhar bleed together. We pray for our martyrs and an end to bloodshed.
• Unity First: Division destroyed Afghanistan for centuries. Unity is the source of strength and survival.
• Security Resolve: Terror seeks fear, not victory. Afghan courage will defeat it, without doubt.
• Reform with Patience: Change must be balanced. Speed without wisdom leads to collapse.
• Transparent Governance: Corruption is being confronted. Resources will serve people, not networks.
• Future Vision: Badakhshan will be a transit hub, energy center, and mining pillar of the region.

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

Esteemed religious scholars, dear sisters, respected brothers, I had prepared a speech, yet I did not come here only to read it. I want to speak from the heart, as you do, from the heart. Is that correct?

The first point I wish to make is gratitude. On behalf of the Government and people of Afghanistan, I want to express my deep appreciation to every father and mother in Badakhshan. Today, even in the remotest areas of Afghanistan, the brave and righteous children of this province defend national sovereignty, the true religion of Islam, and the honor of Afghanistan. Thank you! May your homes be blessed.

Nangarhar and Badakhshan are two provinces that share grief today and have sacrificed the most. The number of our children martyred in Nangarhar is roughly twice that of Badakhshan, and after that, Badakhshan ranks second in sacrifice and martyrdom. Today, I want to pray for our martyrs, especially those who attained Paradise a few days ago in Badakhshan and today in Nangarhar. We pray to Allah to stop this bloodshed.

Secondly, I came to offer my condolences, and that is why I have personally come before each of you. Forgive me for arriving late. Brothers and sisters who have come from 27 districts, your presence is a honor to us. Thank you all! Afghans must face each other directly. In this short time, you expressed your sufferings so clearly that our spokesperson had not even reported them yet. I want to extend my condolences to each of you and thank you for coming from far away. I apologize for our late arrival. I was told we must return to Kabul; I said I cannot leave without seeing you.

I want to thank our very brave pilots, because truly, the clouds were so dense that even at thirty-five thousand meters above, the route could hardly be seen. By their blessing, we reached here. I want to express gratitude to our army. May Allah keep you for us. I deliberately did not call you by phone to offer condolences, because I wanted to be among you. Condolences cannot be sent by phone; I came to express them personally and to say that your Commander-in-Chief is not behind the palace walls but is among you. Yesterday, I was warned five times that it was dangerous to come, yet I said: when even one child or woman of Badakhshan is in danger, my blood is no higher than theirs.

This tragic, terrifying, and shocking incident—my first purpose in coming here is to evaluate the situation directly. I thank the provincial council, civil society representatives, and especially the brother who spoke last. They explained to me the legacy left by others, whether correct or flawed. The head of the provincial council voiced grievances; rightly so. But let me explain what has happened and what is being done, so we can reach balance together.

First, I inherited a deficit budget of 135 million dollars. The world was fleeing, do you agree or not? Opponents’ plan was to collapse five to six provinces, contractual authorities were absent, Kabul Bank was on the verge of collapse, but is now functional, correct or not? People doubted whether Afghans could form a government representing unity. Could we have managed this country amid division? That is why if things took time, it was deliberate. In our unity, there must be no doubt. Everything comes from unity, nothing comes from division. The last 200 years show us that insecurity, failure, and backwardness of Afghanistan came from political disunity.

Today, your government proves that the president does not pursue personal desires but seeks to leave a legacy of a stable, prosperous, and secure Afghanistan. We must maintain tolerance for each other. Without political patience, without focus, without attention to solving problems, progress cannot happen. Sisters and brothers, do you want the story of Amanullah Khan to repeat? Do you want rapid actions that lead to collapse? Transformation must be balanced with continuity. My whole life is in service to you.

Every citizen—trader, teacher, student, police, and others—voted for me or for Dr. Abdullah. Based on justice and constitutional law, the president serves all of you. What have we achieved? Afghanistan’s position in the world has been restored, agreed or not? The international welcome Afghanistan received is the result of our tireless efforts. Without mobilizing the world, who would have financed roads? The entire Badakhshan tax revenue could not cover even five kilometers of road. Every electricity dam, every mining project—where would the resources come from? That is why I had to engage the world. By their support, the resources for three years of the national army, police, and security forces were ensured. Ask our generals: do we have fuel for a week?

Therefore, it was necessary to reconsider Afghanistan’s situation. Now, some technical points: creating a brigade, understanding its expenses—our people must speak realistically. Today, our security forces still rely on international aid. International assistance requires management. Every Saturday night, I personally review contracts for three to four hours. Dr. Abdullah also faces the same issue. Why? Because hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts were misused. You want transparency? Transparency requires management. Funds saved from these contracts will finance your brigades.

Teacher salaries depend on rebuilding a productive state. I taught for fourteen years; once I leave this office, my hope is to teach among you again. But without a wealthy country, where will the funds come from? We must mobilize the economy. Judge, you are present here. For the first time, defending judges were requested in the presidential palace. I personally spoke with them. We have serious problems in the judiciary. Reform is not just removing individuals; it requires establishing principled cadres who are patriotic, committed, and professional. Unfortunately, some youth inherit corruption from past generations. If they accepted Afghani currency, they rejected dollars and percentages. This is not due to unemployment; these people sacrificed five generations for nothing. The problem is negligence. Proper supervision creates solutions.

Now, regarding Badakhshan and the general security situation. First, we see two Badakhshans: the one you and I desire, and the one enemies want. With the President of China, my first speech was about the Wakhan Corridor. The Silk Road is under development; the Chinese delegation will come this week. Afghanistan’s general aspiration is to establish a direct line from Herat to Wakhan and revive the Silk Road. I have not forgotten you, but the Silk Road is not built in a day. I especially express gratitude to the people of Wakhan and Shighnan. Thirty-eight years ago, two young people with nothing were dropped from a plane in Shighnan. For five days, the people hosted them with bread and tea and guided them. That was me and my wife. Today I come again to thank you.

Badakhshan must become an international transit hub, a mining production center, and a power and energy center. This is our goal, and we both agree on it. Regarding problems: first, with utmost apology, the Badakhshan administration was ineffective. A functional administration does not mean a few people monopolize everything and claim to represent a large group. Religious scholars, youth, women, and civil society must all have representation. Delays occurred because the cabinet had to be formed; without it, I could not reform every province. InshaAllah, today, the cabinet will be approved by Parliament, and we will begin fundamental governance reforms. I do not need analysis; your faces are mirrors. You understand reality better than a hundred specialists.

Second, insecurity. Badakhshan’s insecurity has four causes: the criminal economy—wealth misused for insecurity; uncontrolled armed individuals—who threaten and kill each other, weakening society; insurgents; and terrorists. Our vision is to connect South, East, and West Asia; their vision is to turn eastern Badakhshan into a terrorist base. But be sure, their beheadings will not topple the government. Sisters and brothers, the faith of Afghan people is not weak. If someone kills our children, we do not bow our heads. Did the martyred leader Rabbani bow? Did Afghans follow conquerors like Alexander? No!

Their goal is to weaken our morale. Six months ago, they expected success, but thanks to the courage of our national army, police, and security forces, they were pushed back. In Helmand, Generals Khaluq Khan, Murad Ali, and Qalam Shah led unprecedented operations. They aim to weaken our spirit. We especially need our religious scholars. These people aim to make eastern Badakhshan a point of global danger. Our Foreign Minister oversees all diplomats. These last six months, international relations took much time to achieve regional political consensus against threats. Yet, domestic work is even more important.

In the horrific Nangarhar incident, ISIS claimed responsibility, not the Taliban. The Badakhshan attack shows international terrorists were responsible. I call upon all religious scholars and the nation to unite in national jihad. Anyone with political differences is Afghan and should stand with Afghanistan. I also call on the Taliban: today is your choice. If Afghan and Islamic, stand with your state. If influenced by foreigners, stand with them. We will seek fatwas from scholars, and the people will judge traitors.

Regarding our armed forces: first, I thank parents for dedicating their children to the uniform. Second, I assure you: trust in Afghan soldiers’ courage. They accomplish what hundreds of planes cannot. The problem is interference. I want a professional, national army, police, and security, equipped with Islamic principles. Remove petty politics from security forces and trust them—they will achieve great feats. Every person joining the army, police, or security: we do not ask ethnicity or language. You are a brave child of Afghanistan; if the people choose, you can rise to the presidency. Leadership positions are elected; all other posts are appointed.

Even amid shared grief, as Commander-in-Chief, I am proud of our security forces. Mistakes must be investigated properly. Constitutional law presumes innocence. Remember the martyr Farkhunda? Wrong judgments led to her death. As the provincial council said, when a Muslim or human is killed, the heavens tremble. Proper investigations are necessary. I have instructed the identification and recognition of brave soldiers and staff, to honor those defending our land.

Regarding development and education: good news, we provided resources; bad news, government alone cannot reform provinces. Ministries have serious challenges; resources were often unused in the past 13 years. Together, we must ensure projects are executed. I have not heard any illegitimate demands; all are legitimate and will be implemented gradually.

I again salute the souls of our martyrs and thank your bravery. Special thanks to the women: Badakhshan has few educated women, yet they exceed the work available. This must change, and it will. Your attention to raising children, educating yourself, and investing is appreciated. InshaAllah, Afghan women will shine, and one of you may join the cabinet alongside Mr. Rabbani. I fulfilled my promise by appointing four women to the cabinet; Parliament’s approval will enable this. InshaAllah, we will take fundamental steps to improve the role of women in Afghanistan.

Once again, thank you all. Long live Afghanistan! Zindabad Afghanistan!