KANDAHAR (PAN): The restive southern Kandahar Province has been stabilized in terms of security with the Afghan Local Police (ALP) demonstrate immense capabilities in thwarting of rebel attacks efficiently elsewhere in the province.  
“As many as 17 districts in the southern Kandahar Province are now under government control. Activities on the routes linking districts with the provincial headquarters have been resumed in the wake of bolstered security by the ALP force,” these views were expressed by Brig. Gen. Abdul Razaq, police chief of the Kandahar Province in his chat with the Pajhwok Afghan News.
The main factors behind the enhanced security in Kandahar, Razaq said are the deployment of local police to volatile districts, extended cooperation by the residents, and efficiency of the security forces.
He said that his government has now firm control over the entire 17 districts, adding that earlier the Gorak and Mianshin Districts were overruled by the insurgents who are now driven out from the areas.
He said that the move to purge the districts from the insurgents, are followed by launching development projects in different districts with some sort of tangible improvement in the governance.
He said that the ALP force has been deployed proportionately to districts, having the capabilities of repulsing militants’ attacks.
Having enough professional training, the Local Police have been deployed to Panjwai, Arghandab, Shah Walikot, and Maroof Districts, adding however, that plans are under consideration to conduct similar training for the security forces in future. He said that Afghan Security Forces so far ensure provision of security to 90 percent population of the province where foreign troops vacated many districts.
The foreign troops, he said are discharging their duties to enhance security in Kandahar. He expressed concern that the main source of tension is the long border that the province shares with Pakistan where millions of Afghan refugees are also living. He said that 15, 000 Afghans cross the Durand Line on daily basis and his forces sometime could not recognize them with the armed rebels.
He admitted that the long border Kandahar shares with Pakistan could not be manned and thus is a constant source of trouble posing permanent security threat.
He promised that the people would be provided with excellent security in the backdrop of a drive launched to introduce some sort of tangible reforms within the security forces.
He went on to say that as many as 80 police officers and sergeants have been fired who are now facing judicial trials following charges of corruption and harassing people. However, the dismissed police officers have filed request for their reinstatement who are willing to work diligently. The police officers fired from the duties were held responsible of having links with the insurgents and create problems for the people. He said that if he did not take the extreme step to sack the police officers then the people would have suffered more.
Kandahar Governor Dr. Toryalai Weesa said that the security forces deployed elsewhere in the province are better armed and have adequate equipment. “Security forces have been ordered to be on offensive, share information among themselves, and leave no stone unturned to foil the militants’ attacks,” he added.  
Deputy police chief said that efforts are on to improve the security further and plans are underway to minimize the ratio of crimes in the province. He said that around ten criminals are being arrested every week on charges of killings, armed robberies, or violating the established law.
Residents admit that Kandahar has immense stability as compared to the past, saying however, that insurgents’ activities intensify in a number of districts in the spring season.
Haji Fazal Mohammad Ishaqzai, a resident of Panjwai District said that there was a public uprising when hundreds of armed rebels sneaked into the province and then stormed some villages. He said that the authorities should launch clean-up operations to purge Talokan, Moshan, Spirowan, Zangabad, and other Districts of insurgents.
Haji Mohammad, a resident of Zangabad locality of Panjwai District said that security has been improved after the villagers uprising against the insurgents. He said that the insurgents are no more able to challenge the people of his area. He went on to say that the joint patrol by the public uprising group and local police have helped improve the security to great extent. Abdul Wadoud said that the first public uprising was launched from Zangabad area, adding that people of four other villages joined the uprising, which now covers as many as 11 villages within short span of two months time.
Wadoud says: “We have launched the uprising against the torture and barbaric tactics of the armed rebels. I and my eight sons motivate our villagers on the ground that we cannot any more tolerate the tyranny. The tactics of the armed rebels regarding torturing, killing our relatives, and place explosives inside our houses prompted us to launch the anti- militants uprising.”
Since the launching of the uprising, he said the youth have started patrolling each day and night, where people of the area extend all kind of support to the patrolling parties with sharing information on insurgent activities and their safe havens.
He said that earlier tribal elders and government employees were being targeted with bomb or suicide attacks in a broad day light, adding however, that security situation has been beefed up considerably but the government is needed to do more to discourage the trend of militancy.
Abdul Wasi, a resident of Arghandab District expressed satisfaction by saying that the routes linking Kandahar city to rest of the districts are now safe for travelling. He said that earlier the armed rebels used to disembark commuters from passenger buses on roads in Shah Walikot, Arghandab, Zherai and Panjwai Districts, adding but now the security is improved to the extent where people go for picnic to the gardens in restive Arghandab District.
Hailing from Pashmol locality of Zherai District, Abdul Qayum said that earlier the spring season witnessed greater activities by insurgents hampering the movement of fresh fruits to the market but now the traders use to visit the districts for business purposes with no security concerns.
Giving another picture of enhanced security, a resident of Maiwand District said that security situation has been improved in the backdrop of disarming the private security companies.  
Earlier, armed rebels launched bomb and suicide attacks on security companies, leaving most of the times civilians harmed with the closing of various routes for hours.
However, some residents of the northern districts of Kandahar complain of wide ranging insecurity and presence of armed rebels in their area hampering movement of people and passenger buses on roads. They urge the central government to pave the link roads elsewhere in Kandahar and take immediate steps to flush out militants from the area.