Justice, Development, and Public Trust: A Vision for Local Governance and National Progress

(Speech During Visit and Public Meeting in Kapisa)

Keypoints: 

• Public Accountability – Direct engagement with citizens and closing the state-people gap.
• Honoring Martyrs & Security – Supporting fallen heroes’ families and defeating terrorism.
• National Unity – Protecting sovereignty and rejecting division.
• Rule of Law – Fighting corruption and enforcing transparent governance.
• Local Governance Reform – Strengthening provinces, districts, and municipalities.
• Water & Infrastructure – Advancing dams, irrigation, and river basin development.
• Energy Self-Reliance – Expanding domestic power production.
• Economic Revitalization – Attracting investment and restoring industry.
• Higher Education Support – Strengthening universities and national capacity.
• Islamic Justice – Grounding governance in Islamic principles and scholars’ role.

Respected Scholars, do I have your permission?

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

Honorable members of the Cabinet of Afghanistan, esteemed representatives of both houses of Parliament, Mr. Governor, distinguished scholars, great Mujahideen, honorable representatives of all six districts of Kapisa, dear sisters, Chancellor of Al-Beruni University, and respected professors: Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of Allah.

First, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your affection, your candor, and for sharing your problems. The President of Afghanistan is the servant of the nation. Dr. Farooq, if the work hasn't been done well enough yet, I hope our "exam paper" for the second year will be better. The reason I come to you is that when I am among the people, flattery and sycophancy disappear.

They tell me to my face whether they are happy with me or not [Laughter]. 

Honoring Sacrifice and Families of Martyrs

First, I express my gratitude to the youth of Kapisa who are today defending the honor, dignity, territorial integrity, and independence of this land in every trench across Afghanistan. Salutations to the souls of all martyrs, especially our recent martyrs; those whose photos are here and whose memories are dear to us.

Our clear commitment to these martyrs is twofold: we will attend to their families, and we have directed that when the 10,000 houses from Chinese aid (and more to come, God willing) arrive, the families of the National Army, National Security, and National Police martyrs will have priority.

Regarding land, I am personally following up. I am not happy with the work of past years; the Minister of Interior and the Acting Director of National Security are witnesses. I have instructed them all to speed up the process. The fact that it used to take a year just to prepare a legal deed for them is truly a sign of disrespect. We send our sons to the trenches, and when they are martyred, we cannot tell the family to wait another year for paperwork. Have full confidence; the reason I stand before you with pride today is because of the sacrifices of our martyrs. Their blood will never be forgotten.

If some things haven't been done, brothers and sisters, it is because our war was a war for survival. In a state of survival, we were forced to first ensure the existence of the country. I hope it has been proven to you that in the last three days, we broke the back of ISIS in Nangarhar [Audience cheers and chants]. Inshallah, this ominous name will be removed from this pure soil.

Kapisa: The Cradle of History

Secondly, I want to thank this hero-nurturing land. Kapisa has always sacrificed for and served Afghanistan. From the time of Kanishka until today: Long live Kapisa! Do not forget, Kabul was once merely a fort of Kapisa when Kapisa was an empire. Things change over time, but Kapisa will, God willing, become a cradle of civilization once again.

Thirdly, I thank you for your wisdom. Sisters and brothers, you have given me a very large "loan" by placing this massive burden on my shoulders at this point in history. I told you from day one that I cannot repay this great debt all at once. Now, let’s agree on the installments so that an atmosphere of trust is built. Is that acceptable? In installments? If not in installments, it won’t work. We will move forward fundamentally and purposefully, strictly prioritizing our tasks.

Governance and National Unity

I thank the scholars, elders, representatives, the Governor, and all colleagues for your discipline and for strengthening the system. One only complains to their own. Did the noble people of Kapisa ever go to Babrak Karmal or Taraki to complain? I have come to you because I am your elected President; I welcome every complaint you have.

This comes from affection. [Audience: May your home be prosperous, Mr. President!] May your homes be prosperous too! Because our hopes, loves, and blood are one. There is no division between us. Anyone who has a plan for division should know that Afghans cannot be divided. This is one land, one united nation!

Afghanistan is no one’s gift. Throughout five thousand years of history, Afghans have earned Afghanistan through sacrifice. Show me another nation in the Islamic world that has given one and a half million martyrs. we are not in this land by the grace of anyone else; we are here by our own sacrifice, and we will be here forever because of it.

Bridging the Gap Between People and State

The first point is that there should be no distance between the nation and the state. For this reason, I hope to personally visit every province.

May God pull me out from behind the walls of the Arg (the Palace). Help me a little so I can leave those walls and so these ministers don't keep telling me "it's insecure here" or "it's insecure there." There is no insecurity; my people protect me! You, the nation, protect me. My place is in your hearts, not within the walls of the Arg.

What have we done in this regard? So far, 24 governors have come and sat with the entire Cabinet and the Security Council, and we reached analytical results in writing. I thank the Governor and you for appreciating him; this shows your greatness. Ten provinces remain for their contracts to be completed, after which I will have monthly video conferences with all governors to follow up on decisions. You said the "gift" should be action; action happens within this framework. Every province will fall under a single accountability framework where Cabinet members are responsible to you.

District Development and Infrastructure

Regarding districts: the majority of Afghan districts still lack administrative buildings or vehicles. We increased the 1995 (2016) budget significantly for this. I hope that by the end of my term in three and a half years, you won't see a district without a building or facilities.

Regarding municipalities: my focus is serious. Your message about Mahmud Raqi was received. I have seen several good plans and will decide on them soon. One excellent plan concerns Sayyad. Some of you—and Minister Murad worked on this before—suggested that the central government provide a loan for the development of Sayyad, which will then be repaid. I agree to this condition. It should be an initiative that generates revenue to build river embankments. Let the people of Kabul see Kapisa; they won't want to go anywhere else! I heard people even come from Kandahar to visit you.

Regarding unfinished projects like the hospital: I will immediately appoint an authorized committee. I assure you that I will either enforce the contracts or cancel them. We have already cancelled many.

Let me tell you a story. During the Emergency Loya Jirga, a woman representing Afghans in Iran came up to me. I greeted her, but she walked past dismissively. A few minutes later, she tapped my shoulder and asked, "Are you Ashraf Ghani?" I said, "Yes." She said, "I thought you were two meters tall; how did someone your size manage to trouble everyone so much?" [Laughter]. My point is that while we may be physically small, our will is very strong. Anyone who eats the nation's rights has no place here. Justice must be served.

Development: Energy and Water

In development, we must distinguish between the stages of preparation, funding, and execution.

1. Gulbahar: On my recent trips to Azerbaijan and Turkey, our main discussion was how to bring international investors to the textile factories. It won't happen tomorrow, but we are working on it.

2. Water Management: This April, we will see the start of 21 dams. I will implement the Kamal Khan and Bakshabad dams this year at any cost. A son of Kapisa, Dr. Ghalib, is the Deputy Minister of Water and Power. Hold him accountable! I’ve given you a Kapisa native in charge, so grab his collar, not mine! [Laughter].

3. Electricity: In the last 70 years, Afghanistan produced about 230 MW of power. This year, we will produce 242 MW. The Kabul River basin alone can produce 3,000 to 4,000 MW. My goal is for Afghanistan to be an exporter of electricity, not an importer. From Bagh-Dara to the shores of the Panjshir River, this is at the top of our agenda.

Fighting Corruption and Promoting Justice

I will beg at every door for this country. I have never been a beggar for myself, but for my country, I am ready to knock on every door. But this cannot happen without transparency. Corruption and illegal connections are our enemies. If you want Kapisa to prosper, merit (rules) must prevail over personal connections (relations).

We don't need imported philosophies for justice. Islam is complete in its guidance on governance; we just need to act upon it. I see the role of the scholars as fundamental. Without you, there is no peace or stability. No other constitution protects Islamic principles as well as ours does. I want the distance between the Arg and the Minbar (the pulpit) to disappear.

Education and Al-Beruni University

The issue of Al-Beruni University is very serious. As a former university professor and chancellor myself, I understand your pain. When I was chancellor, I had a multi-billion dollar budget to manage but only had the authority to spend $100—and it took six months for the Ministry to send me chalk!

I want universities to have the incentive to generate their own income. Polytechnic University has already led the way by partnering with the Ministry of Rural Development to build dams at one-third the cost. I want all professors to be able to participate in national projects.

Closing Remarks

Regarding district-level problems: I hear you. If I met every district governor individually, I’d have to wait 400 days. Therefore, I am appointing a committee for these three districts to put your grievances on paper.

Is that okay? This way we can address everything. When you write to me, I don't sleep after morning prayers—I read papers. But if you sit and give a speech, you know how Afghans are; I was raised at my grandfather’s table and I don't interrupt anyone. I cut off government officials if they speak for more than five minutes, but who can cut off the voice of the nation?

I come to the people to listen. Your every word holds great meaning and honor. My "job description" in the Constitution might not explicitly say I must listen to everyone, but if I don't listen to the people, whose President would I be? The Presidency exists because of the people. Without you, I have no honor. With you, I am everything; without you, I am zero!

Thank you for your warm welcome and affection.

Long live Afghanistan!