CHARIKAR (PAN): Parwan residents said Taliban have very little presence in the province but existence of armed men fueling insecurity in parts of the volatile region.
 
The province experiences greater presence of anti-social and armed elements--- a factor causing civilian casualties most of the time. The armed men are said to be the guards and supporters of MPs, warlords and Jihadi commanders.   
 
Muhammad Ajmal Khaliqyar, a resident of Charikar said: “Parwan was one of the most secure provinces of the country but the presence of armed men contributed to the insecurity of the region. The province witnesses killing of innocent persons each day and oil tankers are being blown up but the authorities are playing the role of silent spectators.”
 
Few days back, clashes took place between armed rival groups, which left 12 civilians dead and another passerby sustained critical injuries. No action could be seen taken by the government to restore order.
 
He said people were unable to go outside of their homes during night time because of the deteriorated security situations. “I send my younger sister and brother to school amid great fear but I warn that kids will not go to school if the security is not improved,” he remarked.
 
 
Farid Ahmad, a resident of Sayed Khil district of Parwan province said insecurity was spreading with accelerated steps, adding that armed groups were roaming in the area with covered faces. He demanded the government should adopt stringent security measures to purge the area of dacoits and armed groups.
 
Hamta Mubarez, an English Language Teacher in Charikar city said there was complete breakdown in law and order in the province, adding that the main problem was the blowing up of oil tankers by armed groups. He said authorities did focus to ameliorate the situation and gulf of misunderstanding between the officials and people was widening, which was the main reason fueling insecurity. He said high ranking officials were misusing their authorities, which alienated the locals.
 
Yaqoob Rasooli, a cultural activist in Parwan said enhanced security could play a highly significant role in development of a society but insecurity tended to halt the entire developmental projects. He said growing sense of insecurity forced many people to leave the area while investors were not willing to invest in the province.
 
Going into greater details, he said armed groups were increasing by each passing day who enjoyed active support of the government and officials, adding even the armed individuals received weapons from the officials.
Most of the officials were inefficient to control the situation and they were playing in the hands of the armed groups, he remarked.
 
Faiq Noori another resident of Charikar city said most of the officials were unable to control the security and they intentionally ignored the situation and did not want to arrest the anti-state and social elements because of their vested interests. He said the officials only buy time to complete their tenure.
 
He asked the Parwan governor to take measures to improve the order of the province otherwise the governor should leave the post if he was unable to take on armed groups.
 
Analysts said local officials’ inability to control the situation led the province to complete anarchy and mayhem, adding that reports were emanating that the armed groups were using government’s weaponry, which was a constant source of trouble for the entire community.
Farhad Shimal, a professor at Parwan University said local officials extended support who were in connivance with armed groups were fuelling insecurity elsewhere in the province. He said people of the area were fed up with warlords. Most of the armed individuals were the bodyguards and supporters of MPs and former so-called Jihadi commanders.
 
Parwan Police Chief Abdul Rahman Sarjang while admitting presence of armed groups said more than one thousand armed men used to come to Parwan who were terrorizing locals. He said all the armed individuals had their weapons’ licenses with them because they were the men of Jihadi commanders, warlords and MPs.
Based on a joint security meeting among provincial council members, the governor, officials from the NDS, it was decided to remove all tented glasses from the vehicles in the province and arrest armed individuals, Salangi added.
The districts of Sya Gird, Shinwari and Koh-i-Safi are among the most insecure areas of the province because of heavy presence by armed individuals. Provincial police chief insisted major clearance operations were conducted in the restive districts adding that he did not have any report of any major security issue since then.
It merits mention that close interaction and coordination between the armed individuals and government officials emerged as a strange and dangerous phenomenon, which would plague and leave negative impact on the overall security of the entire Afghan nation.