Off the wire
• 3rd LD Writethru: Scottish National Party wins parliamentary election in Scotland  • China on blue alert for rainstorms  • Roundup: Philippine bourse extends losses ahead of local elections  • Family members meet Bangladesh Islamist party chief on death row  • High volumes of visitors keen to see Chinese pandas lead to traffic jams in Belgium  • Spain reports first case of Zika-related birth defect  • Feature: Historic Carnegie Hall celebrates 125th anniversary with top musicians  • Vietnam's capital Hanoi stock market extends downward trend  • Top news items in major Kenyan media outlets  • Major news items in leading German newspapers  
You are here: 　 Home

Afghan president appoints acting chiefs for defense ministry, intelligence agency

Xinhua, May 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has appointed new chiefs for the Ministry of Defense and National Directorate of Security (NDS) or the country's intelligence agency, a statement released by Presidential Palace here on Friday said.

According to the statement the acting Minister for Defense Mohammad Masoom Stanikzai was appointed acting NDS chief to replace Masoud Andarabi who has served as national intelligence agency's chief over the past few months and General Abdullah Khan has been assigned for the post of acting minister for defense.

Stanikzai, who was rejected by the Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of Afghan parliament last year to serve as defense minister, had served as acting defense minister until his appointment to replace national intelligence chief and General Abdullah Khan had served as Chief of Staff in the Afghan National Army Chief of Staff office before he was appointed as acting defense minister.

Both defense ministry and the national spy agency have been run by acting chiefs since long amid criticism by Afghans as the lawmakers repeatedly asking the president to introduce the minister for defense and chief of NDS to the parliament for approval.

President Ghani in his address to the joint session of parliament on April 25 promised to introduce the minister for defense and chief of NDS to the Lower House of parliament. Endit