KABUL

 Afghanistan's finance minister on Monday named in parliament several lawmakers whom he said were guilty of corruption, triggering wild cheering and applause during a televised session of the lower house.
Corruption is one of the key challenges facing Afghanistan as it tries to establish a functioning state system before US-led combat troops depart next year, and the government is often accused of failing to tackle the issue.
Minister Omar Zakhilwal launched a passionate defence against attempts to impeach him over separate nepotism and graft allegations. Instead he publicly accused powerful MPs of smuggling illegal alcohol, fuel and cars.
One of the accused MPs, Naeem Lalai from the insurgency-racked Kandahar province, screamed and shouted from his seat as Zakhilwal delivered an incendiary speech that shocked and delighted many lawmakers. The minister said Lalai had tried illegally to import 1,970 cars and Lalai and other lawmakers often demanded that customs officers allow their contraband shipments into the country.
"Any time he (Lalai) comes back from abroad he brings a lot of alcoholic drinks," Zakhilwal said. "Yesterday, he called one of my customs officers and threatened him with death."
The minister also accused Zahir Qadir, an influential MP from Nangarhar province and the son of a former warlord, of being involved in smuggling flour from Pakistan worth hundreds of millions of dollars. "I was called by Mr. Zahir asking me to release it," he said.
Zakhilwal, who was educated in Canada, is seen as a pro-western politician close to the US-led effort to rebuild Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.
Last year he was reported to have burst into tears at a meeting with international diplomats in Kabul as he defended himself against accusations of corruption levelled at him by Afghan rivals.
"Two months ago five gasoline tankers were smuggled into Afghanistan, through Farah (province)," Zakhilwal told parliament. "We caught them, and Samimullah Samim (MP for Farah) called me from Germany to release the tankers."
"I told him they were smuggled. He said 'I know they have been smuggled, that is why I'm calling you to help release them'."
Samim, who was present in parliament, denied the allegations and protested against being denounced in public.
"The finance minister should present evidence for his claims against me or apologise in front of the media," he told AFP. "He is trying to avenge my comments exposing his own corruption."
Zakhilwal, who easily survived a vote to impeach him, also accused other MPs of demanding lucrative foreign business contracts and free houses.
"If this finance minister has taken even one penny out of the government budget, may God destroy him and his family," Zakhilwal said during his speech.
Billions of dollars in aid have been pledged to help Afghanistan, which is rated 174th out of 176 countries on Transparency International's corruption index, but only on condition that graft is brought under control.
Other accused MPs were not immediately available for comment.