KABUL June 24: Afghanistan’s Chief Justice Mawlawi Fazel Hadi Shinwari has barred former women’s minister Sima Samar from holding public office for allegedly speaking against the country’s interests, official media said on Monday.

“She has made a statement which was irresponsible and against the interest of the Afghan Muslim nation,” the Arman-e-Milli newsletter, published by the president’s office, quoted Shinwari as saying.

“The statements by esteemed Sima Sama are irresponsible and the Supreme Court of Afghanistan thinks she cannot hold official jobs any more.”

It did not elaborate on the nature of statements by Samar, who was deputy chairwoman of last week’s Loya Jirga grand assembly that elected Hamid Karzai as president of an 18-month transitional administration.

Samar has been omitted from Karzai’s new cabinet which was sworn in Monday. Her former post remains vacant but Karzai said at the swearing-in ceremony that he had offered it to to Mahboba Hoqooqmal, who was a vice president of the Loya Jirga.

Samar, a Pakistan-based aid worker was chosen minister for women’s affairs and vice-president last December as part of an agreement thrashed out in Bonn.—AFP