Provincial Council Elections

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): The provincial council head in northern Balkh province on Thursday said differences within government leaders was a major reason behind spike in graft and insecurity across the country.
Mohammad Ibrahim Khair Andesh, provincial council head, told Pajhwok Afghan News law and order was deteriorating at accelerated pace amid rampant corruption in government departments.

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): A number of religious leaders, peace committee members and local elders in southeastern Paktia province demanded the government build peace and security in remote parts of the country.
Maulvi Khaliqdad, head of peace committee, said that Afghans wanted peace and stability. “Everyone should show practical efforts for peace and stability,” he demanded, adding that cooperation and assistance of local populace were also equally important in this regard.

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): A number of provincial council members in southern Helmand province allege local officials for ignoring their repeated warning, which led the province to experience deteriorated law and order.
Ebadullah Alizai, provincial council deputy head, told Pajhwok Afghan News they had consulted security officials over security of Musa Kala and other insecure districts, but they were not taken into consideration.
Musa Kala district fell to insurgents on Tuesday night and security forces suffered dozens of casualties.

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): At least 25 security forces personnel were killed and 40 others wounded in a bloody showdown, which led Taliban to capture parts of the strategically important Musa Kala district in southern Helmand province, an official said.
Haji Karim Atal, Helmand Provincial Council head, expressed concern over the fall of the district and told Pajhwok Afghan News that security forces had left the district center while civil service personnel and wounded officers were sheltered in dangerous area.

MAIDAN SHAHR (Pajhwok): At least 31 schoolgirls were poisoned in Marakazi Behsud district of central Maidan Wardak province but they were stated to be in stable condition, an official said Wednesday.
Governor’s spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told Pajhwok Afghan News that the incident took place in Baba Wali High School in Koh Biroon area of Markazi Behsod district on Tuesday afternoon.

31 schoolgirls poisoned in Maidan Wardak

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Provincial Council (PC) members on Tuesday welcomed President Ashraf Ghani’s proposed changes in the administration of eastern Nangarhar province and urged him to appoint qualified and deserving individuals.
Reports say the Presidential Palace is planning to remove more than 10 provincial departmental heads and replace them with honest and qualified individuals.
President Ghani was expected to arrive in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, but bad weather forced him to cancel his trip.

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Construction work on a three-kilometre bypass road began in the capital of southern Kandahar province on Tuesday, an official said.
The road stretches from the second inter-section to the Hindu Square of Kandahar City, linking it with Kabul, Herat and Spin Boldak highways, according to the mayor.
Governor Dr. Humayun Azizi, Mayor Qazi Mohammad Omar, provincial council members and other officials attended the launching ceremony.

Construction work on Kandahar City bypass road launched

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Taliban insurgents have surrounded the Musa Qala district of southern Helmand province and could capture it soon if security reinforcements failed to reach in-time, the town’s administrative head warned on Monday.
Mohammad Sharif told Pajhwok Afghan News the security situation in the district had extremely deteriorated and Taliban militants captured two security posts last night.
He said nearly 2000 armed militants had taken positions about 100 metres from the district centre and it seemed they would attack the district headquarters tonight.