Corruption, insecurity haunt Nangarhar residents

Jalalabad (PAN, and lack of development projects haunt the residents of eastern Nangarhar province.

A large number of people in eastern Nangarhar Province and the adjacent districts urged the government to take accelerated steps to reverse the trend that tends to alienate the war-weary residents of the volatile region.

The residents say that personal grudge and rivalries among MPs and the incompetency of provincial administration led to the creation of multi-dimensional problems including joblessness, insecurity, absence of education and delay in the development projects.

A resident of Door Baba District told Pajhwok Afghan News that the main source of concern among the people is the rising trend of joblessness, forcing many young people to smuggle various kind of stuff from one side of the border to another. The only way out to discourage joblessness and create more job opportunities, he said is the launching of development projects and its implementation without further delay.

They held the government responsible for enhanced insecurity, adding that the government has focused on implementation of development projects in some particular districts that are close to the capital city.

Noor Rahman, a teacher in the Baticot District said that currently his district is the most insecure where development activities have been halted. He vehemently criticized the government for paying no serious attention to the development projects in the district, which is the main factor giving birth to insecurity and joblessness. He went on to say that there are officials’ farms, which are turned into a barren land.

Another resident Noor Rahman says that against the backdrop of joblessness, most of the youth are forced to go to Peshawar to work in brick factories. He said that if security is enhanced, rest of the problems would be resolved automatically.

Nasima Wahidi, a resident of Kama District in Landapoch locality said that girls in her area have been deprived of getting education because there is complete absence of female teachers in the area’s schools. She said that she could not pursue higher education after 10^th class because there is no female teacher to teach girls students. She demanded of the government to pave way for girls education in her Kama District, which would help bolster the female education ratio.

Haji Aziz, a tribal elder in Haska Mena District blamed that the insecurity is going up because of incompetency of the provincial administration, adding that gap between the government and public is widening by each passing day. “Corruption is gaining momentum. Development activities have been at a standstill while the quality of education is going down,” he added.

He went on to say that the main source of trouble for the residents is that the warlords have grabbed their land forcefully, adding that there is none to challenge the warlords.

Aftab Khan, a resident of Sherzad District told Pajhwok Afghan News that there is complete breakdown in health facilities in his district because of the incompetency of the provincial administration. He said that most the times clans of different tribes have been at loggerheads and the government does not want to come forward to resolve their disputes. He said that there are scuffles between Shinwar and Khogiani tribes.

Complaining of a fast growing joblessness, a cart owner said that the government has done nothing to develop infrastructure during the past 11 years or to create job opportunities for the youth. He said that he is unable to go to his native Pachiragam District because of insecurity. He said that the provincial capital experiences off and on demonstrations, which leave negative impact on his work.

Hailing from Nazian District, Nangarhar Provincial Council female member Angiza Shinwari while admitting that the province is in grip of multifaceted problems, said that the girls are unable to pursue higher education after the completion of their 12^th class education. “Corruption is at its peak while the development activities are ceased to exist in the province. A teacher can’t employment in remote school if she has no money,” she added.

Facing same nature of problems, Khewa District resident said that the residents of his area have no access to get basic facilities even. Hassan Gul, a daily wage labourer said they have no access to potable water and since a year they didn’t see even a police vehicle in their locality. He said if the situation cannot be improved then the existing gap between the government and public would widen further.

Nangarhar MP Freshta Anwari told Pajwhok Afghan News that she received complaints from various parts of Nangarhar, adding that their grievances have been conveyed to the relevant quarters. She complained that the international community also didn’t fulfill their responsibility.    

Khalil, a former from Rodat District said that they have many problems in education and health sectors, adding that the road linking the district to provincial capital is also bumpy, which creates problems to take their patient to provincial hospital. 

Mullah Amber, a representative of nomad tribes said that nothing has been done for the prosperity of nomads in Nangarhar province and hundreds of his community’s families settled in Nangarhar have no access to basic needs. He demanded of the government to provide them with health clinics, schools, and other basic facilities.

Amber went on to say that their youths are jobless confronting a host of problems. The issues such as health facilities, postures, and shelters for nomads have been raised in the Parliament, but none of their problems have been addressed so far.  

According to Anber, the saga of corruption, mafia, and warlords in the government have created gap between government and public. He said if these problems are not solved then the gap couldn’t be bridged.

In general, the Nangarhar residents are in grip of insecurity, corruption, joblessness, grabbing of public land by warlords, constant tension between government authorities with having no access to basic needs. They underlined the need that the government should discharge its duty and ameliorate the situation.

ra/rk

 

 

 

 

 

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