Protecting Communities, Upholding the Rule of Law, and Promoting Peace

Addressing in formal visit the families of martyrs, local elders, children, and officials in Maidan Wardak, Afghanistan

Keypoints: 

• Condolence & Solidarity: Sharing grief with families of martyrs.
• Rights & Accountability: Upholding the rights through principled law, not vigilante justice.
• Rule of Law: Government and security forces answer to the people; investigations and trials underway.
• Children & Poverty: Recognizing children’s courage; addressing poverty as a driver of insecurity.
• Institution vs Individual: Distinguishing wrongdoers from Afghan Army, Police, and Intelligence.
• Sovereign Security: Protecting Afghanistan’s unity and independence; Afghan-led peace process.
• Security & Development: Five-month security plan; dams and land projects to ensure food self-reliance.
• Call for Peace: Urging elders, youth, women, and religious leaders to end violence and promote unity.

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

Most esteemed families of the martyrs, Haji Sahib Janan, these wonderful children, respected sisters, dear brothers, honorable members of the Provincial Council and National Assembly, members of the Senate, Mr. Governor, the Chief of Staff, elders, Mr. Hotak, Mr. Roshan, Mr. Khowak, the Minister of Interior, and all our civil and military officials: As-salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh.

First and foremost, I am not merely here to share your grief; I am here as one who shares your blood. Sharing your blood means recognizing two rights: the Right of Allah (Haq Allah) and the Right of the People (Haq-ul-Abd). You demand the Right of the People, and I demand the Right of Allah!

My directive is clear: until both the rights of the people and the rights of Allah are fulfilled, we shall not rest. Our stance today is not just one of condolence. I am your servant—do not thank me. Today, neither the President, nor the Minister of Interior, nor the Chief of Staff, nor any Afghan official deserves thanks. We owe you an apology.

General Yaftali is the commander of the entire Afghan Army; on behalf of the whole army, he asks for your forgiveness. We must have the moral courage to realize that when a mistake is made, we do not say "thank you"—we must say "forgive us." With one voice, we ask forgiveness from the families of the martyrs and the people of Maidan Wardak.

The Rule of Law and Accountability The law will be applied. Let me be clear: a President is like a kite—the string is in the hands of the people. Without the people’s permission, no one can fly high. Because you hold the string, you can pull it any day and bring the kite to the ground.

We must understand who is responsible to whom. You are not responsible to me; I and all these officials are responsible to you. Whatever you desire is my command. However, allow me the space to ensure we do not resort to "desert courts" (vigilante justice). We must take principled actions. When the law is applied, a society is built. When it is not, everything goes astray.

All those involved are currently under investigation and have been detained. We are moving toward the second phase—the trial—so that everything is done according to principle. Otherwise, the future of these children will remain at risk. We do not want desert trials; we want principled courts where truth and justice prevail.

The Resilience of Children and the Burden of Poverty I want to thank these children for upholding the honor of our flag and for making a demand that is the natural right of every child. The tragedy of our country is revealed in their eyes. Two minutes of a child's speech has more impact than hundreds of books. And what is our child’s reality today? Sadly, our children are robbed of their innocence for two reasons: insecurity and rampant poverty. If an income is only 130 Afghanis a day, 70% of the people fall below the poverty line. This is the legacy left to us. We must gird our loins to eliminate this cursed legacy of insecurity and poverty—for poverty is the mother of insecurity.

Distinguishing the Institution from the Individual I thank the families of the martyrs, especially Haji Sahib Janan. There is great wisdom in this nation. If someone else had been in your place—someone who did not have the welfare of the country in their heart—they would have cursed the entire army and security forces. But with great prudence, you said we must distinguish between the "malicious individuals" and the "National Army." I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making that distinction.

Our security and defense forces bleed every day for the word of Allah and the freedom of this land. We must differentiate between a few individuals who made a mistake and the institution of the National Army, Police, and Intelligence.

A Sovereign Geography This year, we passed through seven stages of war. No one has defeated the Afghan security forces on the battlefield! Now, they try to defeat us through division. As your servant and President, I tell you: we will not lose the blood of our soldiers in the arena of politics! We will guard that blood, honor it, and yet hold them accountable.

My first duty this year was to protect the freedom, independence, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. The enemy’s entire intent was to turn Afghanistan into two separate political geographies. I have not allowed this, and I will never allow it. The world has finally accepted that the peace process must be led by us, based on the legitimacy of our Constitution.

Plans for Security and Prosperity I have directed that a security plan for the next five months be prepared. Come to Kabul in a month and sit with me. Give me one month to finalize a fundamental security plan. The goal is for Maidan Wardak to find peace. This cannot happen in isolation; we need a comprehensive plan that includes Ghazni, Kabul, Logar, Kapisa, and Parwan simultaneously.

I also promise that the year 1395 will be the "Year of Water and Land." Every year, we spend $4 billion buying food from others. My goal is that within four years, Afghanistan will no longer need these imports. I am working fundamentally on dams and land management—not projects that take ten years, but those that can be completed in two or three.

A Plea for Peace Finally, this whole nation is thirsty for peace. I call upon the Ulema, the tribal elders, the youth, and the women: call the people to the path of righteousness. This is an Islamic country; we are Muslims and shall remain so forever.

All your demands for Maidan Wardak could be met for the cost of three months of war. For the price of one year of war, ten provinces of Afghanistan could be completely rebuilt.

If you wish to kill me, my head is a sacrifice for this nation—but do not kill this nation! This nation deserves honor and dignity. Let us end this cycle of blood and reach a peace that is honorable, where all Afghans are included.