NIELI (PAN): Insecurity and lawlessness have been spreading in the volatile Daikundi province and the government was totally seemed paralyzed to restore peace in the region, said Hadi Rahimi Zada, member of provincial council.
Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, he said if the government was interested to restore order and flush out anti-state elements then it should deploy more security forces.
“If police and intelligence agencies fail to control the rapidly deteriorated situation then violence and insecurity will spread to the nook and corner of the province,” he warned.
It merits mention here that the province of Daikundi is exposed to security threats from Helmand, Uruzgan, Ghor and Ghazni provinces which witness frequent attacks from several directions.
The province comes under attack from Charchino district of Uruzgan province, Pasaband district of Ghor and Baghran district of Helmand province in the recent years.
Kijran, Kiti and Sangtakht Bander are known as the most vulnerable districts of the Daikundi province.
Some nine years back, the insecure Daikundi was a district of Uruzgan province, which was upgraded to the status of a province later.
Security is though good in Kiti district but the security forces could not counter militants' attacks carried out from Gizab district. The district had been turning insecure with heavy presence of armed rebels elsewhere in the area.
Kijran district, linking to Baghran district of Helmand province and Charchino district of Uruzgan province is exposed to attacks and insecurity.
Mines blasts and face-off between insurgents and security forces over the last several years left dozens of persons dead and wounded.
Nawroz Ali Atayee, head of Daikundi crime department said: “The facts is that the people of the province want peaceful life and every time the rebels attack are repulsed by the locals themselves.”
Police force face acute shortage of men, weaponry and buildings for their accommodation in the districts, he said, adding despite all challenges the police force had been using all measures to foil insurgents' attacks.
Amir Hussein, a citizen of Daikundi said people had been tired of war and fighting, adding the only source behind getting some sort of security in the province was the support of the locals.
Residents said it was the responsibility of te government to ensure security of the people and adopt measure to strengthen and bolster the law enforcement forces in the volatile province.
Daikundi security sector, including police, national security and regional co-ordination of recruitment had said their main task was maintaining national unity, safeguarding the constitution, national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, fight the enemies of peace and stability, protecting the civil rights of citizens and struggle against poppy cultivation and drug trafficking.
The report released by the security department of Daikundi in 2013 contained more than one hundred cases of beating crimes, over ten cases of eloping, 20 murder cases and 20 robbery cases. Similarly, tens cases of kidnapping, deliberate fire, undermining law of the land, beating and maiming had been mentioned in the report.
Challenges and problems:
The lengthy report said the existing number of security and police force in the province could not counter militants' attacks, asking the central authority to dispatch an additional 800 national police force to Daikundi.
The province was facing lack of detention centers and buildings for police force. Daikundi security police chief said there were 61 security checkpoints with 543 police officials discharged their duties across the province but checkpoints had no rooms and the deployed police force had no heavy weapons.
Security activities:
The official said as many as 15 cases of armed attacks in the vulnerable points of Kijran and Kiti districts had been reported carried out by rebels.
Three remote control controlled bombs were defused by the officials of the security departments.
Two Pakistani citizens who had fled from Kandahar prison had been recaptured before their destructive attempts in Daikundi.
After joining by Mohammad Ali Sadaqat, a former leading militant, the security forces of the area dubbed it a remarkable achievement in Daikundi.
Earlier, Sadaqat was said of running his own detention facilities, a charge he denied by saying he was leading his life in mountains because he was unhappy with government on the ground that his opponents were awarded with attractive positions while he was neglected totally.
Mohammad Hussein Danish, head of provincial High Peace Council said they had been striving for months to convince the commander Sadaqat to join peace process. After, he had joined peace process, Daikundi was 100% secure and there was no security problem.
A number of people had been complaining about presence of armed groups in the province, saying militants were forcing people to pay them money. The groups are said to be backed by some of Daikundi MPs.
Mahdi Modabbir, a civil society activist said head of armed groups had been backed by some Daikundi MPs without naming them he said, commander Feroz Rasooli and commander Esmatullah have had created problem for the people and therefore, insecurity had extended to Shahristan and Miramoor districts. The residents of Bargar area of Sharistan district could not stay in their houses at nights.
Senator Ali Akbar Jamshidi confirmed growing insecurity in Daikundi, saying during his 20-day visit to Daikundi, he repeatedly heard from people and local authorities about some of Daikundi MPs to have had in connivance with armed groups.
“Even the governor frankly told some MPs back the armed groups but unfortunately no one dares to name those MPs,” he added.
Jamshidi said insecurity was increasing daily in Daikundi, adding two days back a young girl was kidnapped in Sangtakht Bander district on gunpoint but on resistence, she was mercilessly gunned down.
“Even the provincial police chief talked to me and complained that his forces are not allowed to arrest or clear areas of armed groups,” he added.
Daikundi police could not ensure implementation of law because they were under immense pressure from authorities and MPs living in Kabul.
Armed commanders in Neili, Shahristan, Miramoor and Sangtakht Bander districts had emerged and the security of the entire Daikundi was under constant threat.
Civil society and human rights organizatons expressed their concerns over growing insecurity and lawlessness in the province asking local authorities to prefer national interests over their personal interests and allowed the security forces to take on armed groups without any sense of fear or favour.
The organizations requested the UN and human rights organizations to put pressure on government to help stop influential and officials from backing the local fighters, dacoits and armed groups.
Shirin Mohsini, a parliamentarian said no one could accuse the MPs of backing the illegal armed groups; there were not any document to prove support of the armed groups.
Referring to Esmat, an armed commander, she added, Esmat was unpopular among the people who was harassing locals.