Speaking at a gathering in Parwan province on Monday afternoon, President Ashraf Ghani called on the people to cast their ballots on Saturday in support of the parliamentary elections. 

This was Ghani’s first trip to Parwan since being inaugurated in 2014.  

Speaking to the people, he said bringing changes to the current situation in the country depends on people’s participation in Saturday’s elections. 

“My first request is for Parwan people to take elections seriously,” said Ghani. 

Ghani also touched on the Afghan war and the peace process and said a few meetings have so far been held in Islamic countries over the Afghan war and the peace process and that at these meetings, the war has been declared as against Islam.  

Ghani said now is the time for Afghanistan to end its defensive stance against terrorism and to go on the offensive.

“Religious legitimacy of war …. now due to Ulema efforts in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia has ended,” Ghani added. 

During his visit to Parwan province, Ghani also inaugurated three big development projects. 

Parwan provincial council members meanwhile urged Ghani to pay more attention to the province. They asked the president to bring more reforms. 

“We insist on reforms. A standard reform in the light of Afghan enforced laws, especially the Afghanistan constitution,” Ghulam Bahauddin Jilani, head of the provincial council said. 

“We support a transparent parliamentary election,” Mohammad Almas Zahid, one of the president’s special representative said.