LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Tribal elders, religious scholars and influential figures on Saturday attended a protest rally condemning insecurity and corruption in southern Helmand province.
They gathered in front of the Governor’s House here, the demonstrators were addressed by former police chief and jihadi leader Abdur Rahman Sabir, who said they could no longer tolerate insecurity.
He added foreign interferences fueled insecurity in Helmand and the government should deal with the problem with a sense of urgency. Sabir asked the central government to conduct a clearing operation in northern districts.
He said ex-jihadi leaders were ready to support Afghan security forces in defending the country and improving stability.
Shamsullah Sehraee, a tribal elder and ex-jihadi commander, said hundreds of civilians and security forces had been killed during the ongoing war in Helmand, but the situation continued to deteriorate.
“We have gathered here to tell the central government to devise plans for improving governance in Helmand," he said, calling rising corruption another problem that needed to be addressed.
Another former jihadi leader, Mohammad Wali Khan, urged the government to increase coordination among security forces and provide them with more equipment.
The governor’s spokesman, Omar Zwak, told Pajhwok Afghan News that a major operation in northern parts of the province was being planned to reverse the tide of insecurity.
He added the central government had promised to establish security posts in all areas where security situation was unstable. He said several officials accused of graft had been referred to the attorneys.
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