Logar PC members on strike over past 2 weeks

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): Members of the provincial council of central Logar have been on strike over the past two weeks to push for the removal of senior officials, including the acting governor.

They warned if the governor, the mayor and the police chief are not removed from their positions, they would continue their strike and keep doors of the provincial council office shut.

Provincial council head Hasibullah Stanikzai told Pajhwok Afghan News they had shut the council’s doors in protest and had stopped working over the past two weeks.

“The governor and the police chief should be replaced, because they and some of their friends are involved in corruption. They had done nothing for the province, except plundering the exchequer,” he alleged.

When asked about evidence in support of his claims, Stanikzai said the officials were involved in illegal activities and had sold green belts and had connections with mafia groups. “We have evidence all about this,” he claimed.

His deputy Adalat Abdul Rahimzai also accused acting Governor Niaz Mohammad Amiri, police chief Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai and Mayor Ahmad Khan Ulfat of mismanagement and administrative graft.

He also claimed having evidence in support of their claims and urged the president to make a decision after looking into those evidence.

A member of the council, Nafisa Hijran, said they would not resume work until the three officials were removed.

“Corruption committed this year in Logar is unparalleled and the government has to be serious about Logar,” she said.

Meanwhile, Governor Amiri confirmed the provincial council had been closed, but rejected the allegations against him and the two other officials.

“These allegations against us are baseless and a plot. Everything here is on track and in accordance with the plan. The council members want to pressurise us into paying them tributary,” Amiri said.

The acting governor said he was ready to answer about every allegation to the central government and the masses.

Police chief Ishaqzai also rejected the allegations as unfounded and said the provincial council members wanted to serve their personal interests.

“The council head is demanding a police pick-up vehicle and four extra bodyguards. But I cannot do this.”

But the council secretary, Nasir Ghairat, rejected if they had demanded vehicles or extra bodyguards from the police headquarters.

A resident of Babos area of Pul-i-Alam, the provincial capital, Saifullah told Pajhwok Afghan News that closing the provincial council office was an illegal act. He asked the council members to seek their demands through legal means.

“The officials have problems, there are allegations against them, but the council should not stop working in reaction,” he said.

A resident of Barak-i-Barak district, Bilal, said the public representatives and the provincial high ups should sit with the president and find a solution to the problem.

This scribe made attempts at seeking comments from Mayor Ulfat, but did not succeed.

Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) spokesman Tawab Ghorzang said they had appointed a delegation to investigate the issue in Logar. He said details of the investigation would be shared with media.

ma/mud

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