A number of Members of Afghan Parliament (Wolasi Jirga) have accused foreign troops, stationed in Afghanistan for fighting Al-Qaeda and Taliban rebels, of committing war crimes.

These Parliamentarians, numbering around 70, have urged for the trial of these foreign soldiers.

According to them, they have enough evidences and documents to prove their claims and will be readily submitted to the court if asked for.

The attitude and operations carried out by these foreign troops which bring about civilian causalities comes under sharp criticism. On several occasions and several times the Afghan public as protested against such acts and operations in different areas of the country, similarly, the Afghan Parliamentarians have time and again asked to legalize the issue of presence of foreign troops and reduction of such air strikes and operations which cause civilian deaths.

The declaration which was tabled by around 70 Parliamentarians, which was read in the Parliament setting, claims clear-cut involvement of foreign troops in war crimes by pounding civilian houses, imprisoning children, and use of dogs to frighten the local population in house to house searches.

The declaration while condemning such acts has asked for the constitution of a national and international court to reach out to these crimes.

The complainant Parliamentarians have been collecting proofs, documents and evidences to prove their claims and to “unveil these criminal acts” for the last three months. The Parliamentarians are now hopeful of passing a bill in the parliament which should be subsequently signed by the president to stop what they call “shameful acts of war crime” by the foreign troops in Afghanistan.

Although Afghan Parliament had time and again denounced such acts previously, this is the first time they have made a unanimous declaration and the will to turn it into law.

US and NATO officials would simply apologize over the deaths of civilians in Army operations and would seldom put responsible on trial.

It’s not yet clear as to whether the plea put forth by the Parliamentarians does cover the legal pursuance of ill-behavior of such troops and whether the request to put on trial foreign soldiers in Afghanistan find implementation.