Kabul, Aug 19 (DPA) Tens of thousands of people gathered in a Kabul stadium Sunday to celebrate Afghanistan’s independence from the British rule, while the supreme leader of the Taliban called on his countrymen to unite and wage war against Western forces.
The stadium, which was used for public executions under the Taliban, was decorated with the Afghan black, red and green tricolour flag and a large banner with a photo of King Amanullah Khan, who led his country to independence from Britain in 1919 after the third Anglo-Afghan war.
Leading the ceremony, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his country was still under attack by its enemies even on the occasion of its Aug 19 Independence Day, referring to Taliban-led violence that plagues the country almost six years after the Islamic militia was ousted from power.
The only way to save Afghanistan from further destruction and instability was to focus on the education of young Afghans, he stressed.
“The youth should struggle and study day and night so they will be well educated. Education is our only salvation and leads us towards progress and development,” Karzai said.
Meanwhile, Taliban chief Mullah Omar called on all Afghans to wage a united jihad, or holy war, against western soldiers in Afghanistan and urged them to set aside tribal, linguistic and regional differences and join the fight against the “invaders”.
“As the freedom fight continues to proceed well in the country, there are signs of panic along the fronts of our enemies, and their international partners are retreating,” the one-eyed insurgent leader said in comments posted in his name on a Taliban website a day earlier.
He congratulated his fellow Afghans on the 88th anniversary of their liberation from Britain but said the same forces now occupied the country.
“Our homes have been destroyed, our children orphaned, our courageous fighters were either martyred or are spending days and nights in Afghan jails, while thousands of invading forces are stationed in our country and our air space is full of their aircraft.”
Mullah Omar also called on Taliban fighters to try to win the hearts of the people and avoid causing civilian casualties as they engage the Afghan government and foreign forces.
Attacks by both sides in the conflict have brought a steady rise in numbers of civilian deaths. Analysts believe the insurgents consciously cause fatalities among the general population under efforts to destabilize the central government in Kabul.