11 Afghan Cabinet Ministers Face Impeachment

KABUL -- Afghanistan's lower house of parliament has voted to start impeachment proceedings against 11 cabinet ministers.

The parliament's deputy speaker, Abdul Zaher Qadir, said on December 12 that a majority of lawmakers in the Wolesi Jirga voted in favor of the measure.

The ministers are facing criticism for having spent less than half of their ministries’ 2012 budgets aimed at developing projects such as infrastructure-building.

The 11 ministers include the Interior, Defense, Economy, Water and Energy, Education, Urban Development, Mining, Higher Education, Antinarcotics, and Information and Culture ministries.

Earlier this month, the lower house cleared the minister of water and energy, Mohammad Ismail Khan, of wrongdoing in impeachment proceedings.

He was accused of budget irregularities and was also under scruntiny for allegedly mobilizing his militia.