Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor warned Tuesday that the increase in Taliban and Daesh operatives in the north posed serious threats to the safety of the north and called on all political parties in the country to unite against the insurgents.  

Regarding ongoing speculation around foreign support to militant groups in Afghanistan, Noor said that there are certain countries in the region that are equipping the Taliban and Daesh.

Noor said that government so far has not managed to define a good counter-terror strategy to defeat the militants and went as far as to say if action is not taken the north could turn into another Syria.

“The Taliban today have split into four factions, the fabricated Daesh is also a peril for the north. The white flags changed into black ones (referring to the white flag of Taliban and the black flag of Daesh). Helicopters land in their (Daesh, Taliban) areas, but I don’t know if these helicopters come from this side or that side of Amu (Amu River border) or from beyond the Durand Line. Helicopters supply them (insurgents) with motorcycles. The proxy war is ongoing and thousands of our people become the victims,” said Noor.

He warned of an ethnic war in the country if government does not take serious action to eliminate the militants.

These remarks were made at a Jamiat-e-Islami event to mark the first death anniversary of Rasoul Mohseni, the former chairman of Baghlan provincial council.

The gathering was also attended by a number of Afghan politicians, members of the Jamiat-e-Islami party as well as Hizb-e-Islami chairman Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal.

Speakers at the event generally raised deep concerns over the ongoing turmoil facing the nation on both political and security fronts. They called on the National Unity Government (NUG) leaders to take steps to fix the fragile situation.

“This does not have any link with the economy or rivalry. If the government does not pay attention, the north will change into Syria, they will broker a Shia-Sunni war (sectarian war). If I meddle in the war, then they say that he is wayward, but the current situation is not acceptable to us,” added Noor.

“They killed the elders and defenders to infiltrate the north, there is a preplanned war going on in the north,” said Ahmad Wali Massoud, chairman of the Massoud Foundation.

Jamiat leaders meanwhile said that the targeted killing of prominent individuals and politicians was part of the conspiracy to prolong the war in Afghanistan.

“The presidential elections is a redline for the political society, the people of Afghanistan and the political society will not accept any sort of excuse in this respect,” said Mohammad Younus Qanooni, former vice president.

Jamiat leaders also criticized the Presidential Palace for its attempts to centralize power, and asked government to announce the date for parliamentary and district council elections.

In addition, the speakers again called on government to convene the constitutional amendment Loya Jirga in order to change the current political system.

“The constitution must be amended, the political system must change into a decentralized system, we can reform the political system only through a parliamentary system,” said the chairman of the Jamiat-e-Islami party Salahuddin Rabbani.

“Coordinated murders are rampant, it started in the past and continues up to now; conspiracies must be prevented; these murders indicate a strategy which is going on today as well; the transfer of war fronts to the north are part of the internal and external strategy,” said Qanooni.

Participants at the gathering called on all political parties to unite in order to fight insurgency.

On the issue of rumors about a fracture within the Jamiat party, Noor said that the party leadership is working to fix their issues and remobilize the party.

CEO Abdullah Abdullah meanwhile also pledged that presidential elections will not be delayed at any cost.

“I promise from this podium that we will not allow the presidential elections to be delayed,” said Abdullah.