Ex-ALP commander cuts power to eastern cities

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): A former Afghan Local Police (ALP) commander has cut power supply lines into eastern Laghman and Nangarhar provinces from Kabul’s Naghlo district, officials said Tuesday.

Mohib-u-Rahman Momand, Nangarhar power director, told Pajhwok Afghan News the power supply was disconnected by a former ALP commander Jan Agha in Badpash district of Laghman late on Monday.

“Jan Agha himself contacted us and said he had disconnected the power supply,” Momand said, adding the commander had cited non-payment of salaries to him and his colleagues for the last three months.

Momand said the commander did not allow engineers to restore the power supply. “Commander Jan Agha does not allow our personnel to restore electric supply,” he added.

He talked to the commander several times over the telephone asking him to allow engineers to restore the power supply but he insisted the government should pay their three months salaries before the restoration of electricity.

Sarhadi Zwak, Laghman governor’s spokesman, said power cables were cut in Kabul’s Sarobi district. “Commander Agha Jan is member of Taliban. Two years ago, he was working in CBS security project of American forces in Sarobi,” he said.

“American forces had established a security project, CBS, in which locals were equipped with weapons to combat militants,” Zwak said, adding the commander had his salary pending with the American forces not with the Afghan government.

Abdul Karim, a resident of Jalalabad city, the provincial capital of Nangarhar, said his entire family spent a restless night because of absence of power supply.

He urged armed men should not create problems for residents and they should not work to promote others’ interests in the country.

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