MAIMANA (PAN): People of Faryab province complained about growing insecurity, smuggling, sale and use of narcotics, rampant corruption and unemployment.
Faizullah, a resident of Faryab said people of the province could not go outside of their district because of lawlessness and insecurity.
Unemployment was the main source feeding insecurity. If the government had utilized the assistance extended by the international community during the last 12 years then factories could have been established to provide job opportunities for the people, he lamented. Youth of the province had now started smuggling and addicted to drug, he added.
“Criminals and murderers cannot be arrested due to corruption in the government and innocents are being put behind the bars instead,” he remarked.
Tight security could pave way for job opportunities in the province, he said, adding the government should show presence to restore the confidence of the locals.
Rabia, a student and a woman activist said the government was so weak that it could not implement law of the land.
She said influential had occupied power corridors while poor civilians were leading a miserable life under their command.
“Rampant corruption, pending prisoners’ cases, weak writ of the government and delay in judicial cases caused gap between the government and the people,” he noted.
She said that the aid contributed by the international community during the past 12 years could not reach to the deserved people and balance could not be maintained in reconstruction projects, adding that such steps alienated people from the government.
“Unemployment reaches at its highest level. Youth have been looking for jobs and most of them migrated to foreign countries to earn a livelihood while some of them join ranks of rebels to earn bread and to keep their families protect,” she added.
Mohammad Sami Khairkhwa, a resident of Belcharagh district complained no attention was paid to improve the law and order during Hamid Karzai government and most of the people had no knowledge about law and order.
There is no security. Militants have complete control of villages and towns. People are forced to pay Usher and Zakat to rebels, he added.
“Despite pumping in of billions of dollars from the international community for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, the 54-kilometres Belcheragh-Maimana road cannot be completed so far. Pregnant women lost their lives many a times on their way to hospitals,” he remarked.
He said security, construction of road, electricity; drinking water and rehabilitation of agriculture sector were among main problems confronting people of the province.
Abdul Baqi, a resident of Kohistan district said lack of security, dilapidated condition of roads and unemployment were the main problems of the people, adding the locality was one of the insecure districts in Faryab. The existence of armed militants had created sense of fear among people of the province.
The district is located 120 Kilometres from Maimana city. He said reconstruction process was going uninterrupted in other districts but in Kohistan district neither the international community nor the government had paid attention to improve security, education of health sector. The main sectors and source of income of the people including the agriculture and livestock could not be improved.
He said government should demonstrate its active presence by strengthening public security; ensure speedy justice and construction of roads.
Door Taj Aimaq, member of Faryab provincial council said security had been deteriorated elsewhere in the province, adding both the government and the insurgents had strong presence.
She said lack of equipment for security personnel and poor weapons were main sources contributing to insecurity, adding that the government should work out comprehensive plan to equip the security forces with advanced weaponry.
Sayyed Mohayyuddin, head of Qaisar Student Association was of the opinion that the government was unable to improve security in Faryab, adding Taliban had great influence in Qaisar district.
Local police had created problem, he said, adding widespread corruption, inattention to peoples’ demands, surging violence and violation of human rights were on the rise and foreign people to join Taliban ranks.
He went on to say that reconstruction projects and development programs had been stopped due to insecurity in Qaisar district, saying that people were jobless and migrating to Iran with their families.
People of Qaisar district were mainly associated with the occupation of agriculture and horticulture who face immense shortage of irrigation water. The Borghan dam cannot be constructed so far.
Dr Maruf Samar, an active member of domestic relations of Faryab Civil Society organizations said insecurity, unemployment, recruitment for NGOs and local departments from outside and increase of addictions were the main problems of the people.
“Every Afghan has the right to work in government offices but the residents of Faryab are deprived of their rights because they have neither money nor mediators to buy seats,” he added.
Jobless youths were preferring to join Taliban ranks with some groups had been exporting insecurity from south to north in order to stop the public benefit projects especially Almar dam, which is being constructed at the cost of $55 million.
He says the construction of Almar dam started two years ago, which would be completed in a year but some groups were trying to sabotage the vital project.
Almar dam would help irrigate tens of thousands hectare barren lands and thousands of farmers would start cultivating their lands, he added.
Abdul Basir, a student of computer science faculty said, “We face shortage of teaching materials, laboratories, classrooms and teachers”.
He said students themselves arranged teaching materials and there were no laboratories for practical work and also the teachers did not come to classes on time.
“If due attention cannot be paid to address genuine problems of the students then graduate of this institution will not be effective to play a significant role in future,” he informed.
Faryab University had 5,000 students from all over the provinces including male and female students. The government should explore measures to resolve the legitimate demands of the students’ community of the vital university.