14 Ghazni district courts without judges

GHAZNI CITY (PAN): The appellant court chief in southern Ghazni province said on Thursday judges could not take up cases in 14 districts due to growing insecurity.

Khwaja Mir Samad Haqdad told Pajhwok Afghan News during an interview they had judges at work in only four districts. Residents of the 14 towns have no option but to move the court in Ghazni City.

The court of appeals chief hoped if district judges were assured security and provided facilities, a lot of problems being faced by residents would be resolved.

In the absence of judges, he said, residents had no option but to approach local elders to meditate and resolve their disputes.

Previously, provincial attorney Abdul Rashid Abid has told Pajhwok that many districts in Ghazni lacked attorneys, in addition to judges.

On the other hand, residents in many parts resolve their judicial problems through Taliban militants.

A Giro district resident, Allah Noor, who has a filed a case involving a dispute over land ownership against his cousins at the urban court in Ghazni City, said there was no judge or attorney in their district.

“It has been two years since I filed the case, which remains undecided,” he said and complained about financial losses he incurred while perusing the case.

Noor said he like many others had been left with no choice but to approach the Taliban to decide their cases in a short span of time.

The governor’s spokesman, Shafique Nang, said government departments were functional in all districts, but in Nawa.

He argued when district and police chiefs could travel to districts and discharge responsibilities, why not the judges. He said he would not rule out security threats, but judges should not abandon their tasks.

Ghazni police chief, Brig. Gen. Zarawar Zahid, told reporters the security situation in districts had improved. Ghazni has 18 districts, with insurgents holding sway in all parts except district centres.

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