Atta Mohammad Noor, the ousted governor of Balkh, on Tuesday said he was waiting for the launch of negotiations between government and Jamiat-e-Islami Party of Afghanistan.

“We expect the final decision on the start of negotiations of Jamiat with government. We will see what will be the result. Then we will announce our decision (in this respect),” Noor told a gathering of Kapisa, Parwan and Badakhshan residents in Mazar-e-Sharif City.

Noor claimed that government wants to sideline former mujahedeen leaders to adopt its secular plans.

“We do not want the secular plans to be dominant in our country. We know that your efforts are for sidelining mujahedeen and national figures and other individuals who are loved by the people. You are trying to remove these figures to impose your secular plans on the system of the country,” Noor said.

He pointed out the government’s preparations to face any threat which will be posed by Atta Mohammad Noor following his disagreement over the approval of his resignation by President Ashraf Ghani on December 18.

“I have a question: Who assigned the commandant of 209 Shaheen Corps Headquarters in Balkh to be prepared against the Balkh governor? Who will take the responsibility for it… I have always served the people. I will not fear not only one but five Corps?” he asked.  

He said: “we will follow this issue till the end and that they will need to answer to it.

Noor also questioned the repeated delay in the distribution of electronic national identity cards.

“What is the reason for delaying the rollout of the identity cards? Instead of dividing the Afghan nation, we should become one nation so that there should be one line on the back of our cards that says: “The identity card of Afghanistan”. This is enough,” he said.

Noor said he will prevent the Daesh project by the government in the province.

“We have cooperated with the government for several years; now, we have changed into a ‘spoiler’. They (government) have introduced us to their bosses as a bad figure. They say we have impeded their projects. Yes, we are impeding the Daesh project of government,” Noor said.

He called on his supporters to be ready for civil action.

“We are firm in our agreement. We have always said that we will not bow to any plot. This plot is not for Balkh governor’s position only; this is against a big family of jihad… This plot is against the last strong bases of jihad who will not leave anyone to achieve their goals unless there is an understanding where nothing will be harmed in terms of people’s interests.” He said. “We will consult with you (government), otherwise we are ready for both civic action and respond to the acts that you have already prepared for. We call on you (his supporters) to be ready for this and we will step towards elections same as we are united at the moment.”