Afghanistan grand assembly on US security pact continues

Members of Afghanistan's traditional Loya Jirga or grand assembly of tribal elders and notables continued their debate on the controversial security pact known as the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US for the second day Friday.

Around 2,500 members of the gathering, divided into 50 working committees, have been thoroughly reading the 26-article security pact, titled 'Security and Defence Cooperation Agreement Between the US and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan', to take a final decision whether to accept or reject it, Xinhua reported.

The four-day historic gathering, which opened Thursday, would announce its decision on its concluding day Sunday, according to officials and the members of the traditional Jirga.

The decision of the Jirga will then be referred to parliament for approval.

Washington reportedly wants the security agreement to be signed by the end of this year, but Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai said in his opening remarks at the Jirga Thursday that his successor could ink it after Afghanistan's presidential elections slated for April 5, 2014.