Lawmakers in Afghanistan’s parliament on Monday summoned heads of security agencies to brief the legislative body about a dramatic surge in violence in the country despite government’s persistence assurances that the situation will improve and the Taliban’s “backbone” will be broken. 

The Monday session’s quorum was not adequate to ask the security heads to brief the MPs about the security situation in the country. Therefore, the Parliament Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani announced that the session with the Acting Minister of Defense Assadullah Khalid, Acting Minister of Interior Massoud Andarabi and the head of the National Directorate of Security Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai will be held behind closed doors.

At the opening of Monday’s session, Rahmani said that there are serious concerns among the MPs about “reduction” in government territories, a surge in security threats in the cities and appointments based on nepotism in security agencies.

But an MP from Kabul, Ramazan Bashardost, said that weakness of the security officials was one of the main reasons for the deteriorating situation in the country. 

“You are asking for information from those whose hands are stained with the blood of the people of Afghanistan,” Bashardost. 

Bashardost’s remarks were criticized by the house speaker who accused Bashardost of being an “agent to Iran”. 

Bashardost defended his stance in an address to reporters outside the house. 

“Today, the Afghan people know that who is spying and who is working for the interest of the people,” he said. 

This comes as heavy clashes are ongoing between government forces and the Taliban in different parts of the country. 

Officials from Badakhshan said on Monday that a number of government buildings fallen to the Taliban following heavy clashes in Keran Wa Manjan district since Sunday night.