Afghan parliament sacks minister over worsening security "Afghanistan's interior minister, with 136 votes against him, is disqualified from the ministry and I ask the president of the Islamic republic of Afghanistan to announce another person for this position," said Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, speaker of parliament. The current fighting season is seen as a crucial test of whether Afghanistan's army and police force are up to the job of holding the Taliban at bay. Failure would cast doubt over Nato's carefully conceived strategy of training up local forces while withdrawing. Mr Patang, a career police officer, has been in the job for less than a year, since his predecessor was dismissed for failing to prevent a Taliban resurgence and cross-border shelling from Pakistan. In response, he said it was the job of the more heavily armed military to protect remote areas and highways. "I'm on the threshold of Nato's withdrawal," he said. There will be lots of problems, there will be lots of challenges. From March 21st up to now, I swear to god, 2,748 police have been martyred. Imagine what effect it has on my mind.