‘Balkh needs security boost ahead of elections’

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN) has said elections face no technical hurdles in northern Balkh province but insecurity is the biggest obstacle.

Ajmal Ahadi, provincial deputy of the IEC, while talking at a meeting in the capital city linked holding of transparent and fair ballots with the efficiency of Afghan National Army (ANA), police and other security forces.

He said challenges would be tackled if security forces had focused to improve law and order in remote areas of the province.

Elections’ officials did not face any technical or security problem in distribution of voter registration cards in the province, he added.

“May be, we face problems in future but for time now we see no polls’ related issue,” he said, adding that ballots were a national responsibility and every individual should participate.

He said Afghan security forces were mulling a comprehensive strategy to ensure order on polls day.

Militants were using tactics to sabotage elections but they were unable to face the security forces, he noted.

Sayed Lutfullah Bariz, provincial United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) spokesman, said elections would be conducted by the Afghan government and foreign countries would not interfere in the polls.

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