ALP chided for families’ displacement

MAZARSHARIF (PAN): Some residents of the capital of northern Sar-i-Pul province on Monday warned of migrating from the city due to harassment at the hands of Afghan Local Police (ALP).

But security officials insisted no family had been displaced so far from the area that was still plagued by insurgents. However, they added, the security were doing their bit to clear the area of militants.

Dwellers of Boghawi village complained almost 50 families had been displaced over the past few months due to ALP’s harsh behaviors. They claimed another 100 families were ready to leave their houses.

One of the villagers, Khwani, told Pajhwok Afghan News ALP frequently arrested innocent residents on trumped-up charges of having links to militants.

He said although they had never supported the government’s armed opponents, security forces continued to look at them with suspicion.

His son and brother were recently detained by ALP on suspicion of having links with the Taliban. “Now that I am trying to secure their release, but government officials are asking for bribes.”

Because of the local police misconduct, he alleged, 50 families had been prompted to leave the area and 100 others were on the verge of migrating to safer places.

Another resident, Muhammad Din, accused the ALP personnel — supposed to protect the public — were behaving like the Taliban with the locals. He claimed people’s houses were searched without rhyme or reason, something that had eroded residents’ confidence in local police.

On the hand, security officials said the village was still haunted by threats from guerrillas. Provincial police chief, Brig. Gen. Abdul Rauf Taj, denied any household had left the area, where Taliban commander Iftikhari had dozens of armed supporters.

He explained Iftkhari’s loyalists fomented trouble on the highway between Sar-i-Pul and Shiberghan and then hid in Boghawi. As a result, he said, police had set up a checkpoint on the road.

The Taliban were mounting pressure on residents to demand the removal of the police post, Taj said, seeking villagers’ support for police efforts to purge the area of rebels.

fbr/mu

Views: 5