70 policemen fired in western zone

KABUL): Seventy policemen, including senior officials, were fired last week by the minister of interior as part of police reforms in western provinces, officials said on Thursday.

Bismillah Muhammadi dismissed the policemen in Herat, Farah, Ghor and Badghis provinces for failing to effectively perform their duties.

Ghulam Saddiq Sadiqui, the interior ministry spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News the sacked policemen had been replaced with new officials in line with the ministry’s suggestion.

The replacements included district police chiefs, unit commanders and others, he said. The minister has been visiting different provinces over the past three months to assess the security situation and conduct of officials.

A number of policemen have been removed and replaced with professional officials, according to Sadsiqui, who said: “The dismissed policemen are being investigated, and if found guilty of negligence, they will be punished.”

He did not detail the positions of the dismissed policemen, but Col. Syed Agha Saqib, Herat police chief, told a news conference on Thursday the jail commander, police chiefs of Injeel, Guzara, Adraskan, Shindand, Aoba, Gulran, Kahsan, Zindajan and Ghori districts were among those terminated.

He said the interior ministry had ordered the replacement of 39 police officers, including crime branch chiefs of Shindand, Ghorian and Aoba districts.

mds/ma

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