Afghan Ambassador to Russia Abdul Qayum Kuchi, who is the uncle of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, has accused Tajikistan of being involved in drug trade in Afghanistan.
1TV, which is owned by Afghan communications and media company Group One, reports that in a video released by YouTube of Shafie Ayar on December 21, 2016, Afghan Ambassador to Russia Abdul Qayum Kuchi said that Russians and Tajiks are involved in drug producing in Afghanistan.
“Russia and Tajik mafias are behind the drug cultivation in Afghanistan,” Kochi said.
“Tajikistan is a very small country, it has population of five million and over a million of them are Russians. They have Russian culture and Russian is their official language. They don't have the right to write in Persian script. Mafias are actively operating the country," he said.
Tajik experts have reacted to the controversial remarks of Afghan diplomat.
“A statement by Afghan ambassador to Russia that powerful mafia groups involved in drug trafficking are allegedly operating in Tajikistan looks like the ravings of not quite a healthy person,” Tajik political scientist and expert on Afghanistan, Qosim Bekmuhammad, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“A statement that Tajikistan has population of five million and over a million of them are Russians is evidence of the fact that Afghan diplomat is not well aware of the current situation in Tajikistan,” Tajik expert said.
Colonel Khoushnoud Rahmatulloyev, a spokesman for the Tajik counter narcotics agency, has also denied the statement by Afghan diplomat as absolutely “unfounded.”
According to him, there are no mafia groups in Tajikistan involved in drug trafficking.
“There are organized criminal groups involved in drug trafficking and we are combating them,” Rahmatulloyev added.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, locally known as Radio Ozodi, reports that the Afghan Embassy in Dushanbe has noted that the statement by Afghan ambassador to Russia does not reflect an official position of Kabul. One of employees of the Afghan embassy in Dushanbe told Radio Ozodi on January 9 that that the statement by Afghan Ambassador Abdu Qayum Kuchi is his own opinion and it does not reflect position of Kabul.
Meanwhile, 1TV reports that Tajikistan’s foreign ministry has summoned Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan over Kuchi's remarks and called on the Afghan government to take serious action in regard.
In a letter obtained by 1TV, the ministry has reportedly written that Kochi has accused the Tajik leadership and insulted the people of Tajikistan, without having the documents to prove his claims.
Critics say the Afghan government should reconsider the appointment of Qayum Kochi as ambassador to Russia.
“Russia is a very important country for Afghanistan and government should appoint a capable envoy to the country,” Mohammad Naim Nazari, the executive director of Civil Society & Human Rights Network (CSHRN) of Afghanistan, was quoted as saying by 1TV.
