Language

Don't you have an account with Pajhwok Afghan News?

Click here to subscribe.

Security improves in Ghazni

Security improves in Ghazni

author avatar
30 May 2013 - 14:48
Security improves in Ghazni
author avatar
30 May 2013 - 14:48

GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Ghazni security officials say compare to the past, security has improved to a large extent in provincial capital and districts of Ghazni. Roads to a number of districts are opened and shelling has also stopped on the city.

Ghazni governor Musa Khan Akberzada considered the security situation as better compare to the past, and said that security incidents have decreased, the armed men are weakened and the Afghan forces became stronger, professional and were well equipped..   

According to the governor, the settlement of local police in districts caused great improvements in security situation, and with maintaining security people feel safe and job opportunities have been created in those localities.

Akbarzada added that the National Solidarity Program (NSP) activities are underway in those districts, local and village councils have been formed, the relations between the government and public is improving while three to four years back there were no jobs, nor people were feeling safe. 

He explained, there are 18 districts in Ghazni of which 13 are insecure where armed people are active.

Zarawar Zahid, Ghazni Police Chief told Pajhwok Afghan News that, within past two years security has improved in Ghazni to a large extent.

He said that two years back supplying were taking place through air to five districts including Rashidan, Khogiany, Zankhan, Giro and Ajrestan, but now the roads are open and the supply is taking place through road.  

According to Zahid, local police have been settled in 9 districts and the government control has extended compare to the past. Insurgents are now in a weak position, they don’t have the ability to fight face to face and there are only few clashes and explosions.    

Zahid added that before the city was under threat, there were shelling and the insurgents were targeting the government employees and the police in the city, but now they are not able to do so.  

Crime branch chief in provincial police headquarters colonel Allah Nazar Ziayee also confirmed the low level of the crimes in the province, and added that the expansion of police activities and the public cooperation with them resulted in the crime graph to get reduced.

Since five years Nawa district of Ghazni province has been under the Taliban for the gunmen and say that when there is no government control over Nawa district, the whole Ghazni will remain insecure.

Despite the fact that, a number of Ghazni Provincial Council members and residents say that, security has improved compare to the past, but still people feel themselves at risk and unsafe.

Ghazni deputy provincial council head Abdul Jama Jama said that, the roads to districts are still insecure and that the government officials and the public have problems in this aspect. He added that security in Ghazni has improved, while the number of security incidents reduced and the cooperation between the public and the government has expanded, but it is not enough, more should be done for maintaining security and the relations between the government and the public should be more strengthened.

The provincial council female member Hamida Gulistani also said that security situation is not good and without maintaining security, development activities and daily affairs cannot be handled properly. She called the main cause for insecurity joblessness and added that joblessness and insecurity are interrelated and should be addressed.

Residents in districts also indicated insecurity and risks as key issues in their areas, and say that besides insecurity, joblessness affected their lives. 

A resident of Deh Yek, Muhammad Sharif said that people in their district are still not secure and due to insecurity in most villages they lock their doors early in dusk. He added that areas in district vicinity are secure to some extent, but in two kilometers distance there is no government control and armed people freely walk there.

Roads which connect the districts are also controlled by the gunmen that created problems to the residents. Jaghori district resident Muhammad Hassan said that between Jaghori and Qarabagh districts they always face problems where gunmen stop vehicles and search people. He added that similarly roads to a number of other districts are also insecure, but the government didn’t take any step to address the problem.   

Ghazni city resident and Ghazni University student Rahimullah said that security is now better, but not to the extent that people could trust the situation. He added that even now explosions occur in the city and sometimes police are getting targeted, which created fear amongst people and security organs failed to prevent. According to Rahimullah, if the security forces fail in improving the security, after 2014 the fear regarding insecurity will increase in Ghazni.   

Ghazni deputy governor Muhammad Ali Ahmadi called the insecurity a countrywide problem and said that no one enjoy full security. He added that now Ghazni people trust in their national and local police and besides Afghan forces are trained and their training is ongoing which will lead them to be accepted by the public. He also said that until the local people do not cooperate with the government in maintaining security, security cannot be maintained, but recently people’s cooperation has increased.

He gave an example as saying that “Few days back, an armed Taliban gunned down two police guards of a school, but while escaping police managed to recognize the gunman and kill him with the support of people.”  He urged the Interior Ministry to continue training programs for the police to let them know the law and their responsibilities. He said that now the government is taking steps based on the people requests, and mostly people come and ask the government to establish security check posts in their region.  

According to the deputy governor, now people are fed up with the armed Taliban activities and want to support their government, which lead to prosperity and reconstruction in their regions.

Three months ago, in addition to the public upraising against the Taliban, the National Army, National Police and National Security forces a big number of local police are also settled in Ghazni. The Local Police are settled in Andar, Deh Yek, Qarabagh, Muqur and Abband districts of Ghazni province.

In those areas where Local Police are settled, the residents say that security has improved in their localities. According to residents, previously the security forces conducted clearance operations in their regions, but soon after the operation, the Taliban would emerge again. 

Deh Yek district resident Noorullah told Pajwhok Afghan News that now security has improved in their district and the main cause is the establishing of the Local Police.

He added that the good point about the local police is that they are residents of those areas and know all those who were armed and involved in disruptive activities.

Muqur residents are also happy with the establishment of Local Police in their district, but ask the government to increase the number of Local Police there to manage to secure the remaining areas as well.

A resident of that district Wahidullah says that now people of that district can freely go to Ghazni city and handle their daily activities normally. He added that the number of Local Police is very low and are not able to secure all the villages, therefore the number should increase.  

For the first time last year the public uprising against Taliban took place in Andar district of Ghazni province which later extended to Qarbagh, Muqur, and Deh Yek districts.  

Andar district resident, M. Alam said that the public uprising against the Taliban resulted in good achievement and in a short period of time the areas were cleared of the Taliban and people live in peace. He added that before the public upraising the Afghan forces were not able to go to those areas due to insecurity where besides Afghan insurgents, tens of foreign militants were active.

A resident of Andar district and the upraising participant, Sharifullah Andar said that their upraising against the Taliban had good achievements, but when their supplies were finished the government instead of supporting them in terms of weaponry and equipments, established the Local Police.  He said that now the security situation of areas under the control of upraising participants, it is good and the Local Police are active there.    According to Sharifullah, most of the upraising participants joined the Local Police and now there are around 300 Local Police and 200 the upraising participants who jointly fight the Taliban.  On the other hand, security check posts have been established on all roads, connecting Ghazni districts to the centre.  

Ghazni Police Chief said that, the security check posts played an important and positive role in improving security. He added that when the security check posts were not established, armed men were searching people and were planting mines on the roads which were inflicting casualties to the residents. He also pointed out to the Kabul– Kandahar highway, and added that their forces patrol the highway on daily basis and they also established security check post along the road.  He said that now there is no security problem on the highway. 

Ghazni residents are also happy for the establishing of the security check posts. Andar district resident Ziaullah said that before there were armed militants along the road everywhere, but now he is driving to the centre and since establishment of these check posts, he feels safe. He added that his vehicle was several times checked by the armed men, and was accused of spying and was warned not go to the centre every day.   

Regarding previous warlords in the districts and villages of Ghazni province, Police Chief Zarawar Zahid said that there is no one in Ghazni who could have irresponsible armed men and create security problems.  

Visits: 5

Related Topics

GET IN TOUCH

SUGGEST A STORY

Pajhwok is interested in your story suggestions. Please tell us your thoughts by clicking here.

PAJHWOK MOBILE APP

Download our mobile application to get the latest updates on your mobile phone. Read more