More policemen needed in Ghazni to control security situation

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Local officials on Saturday said security situation in southern Ghazni province was deteriorating with each passing day after the Ministry of Interior (MoI) downsized police force in the province.

Hamidullah Nawroz, head of the Provincial Council (PC) told Pajhwok Afghan News Ghazni was promoted to the first rank from the second rank provinces but the government provided no facilities deserved by the first rank category.

He said MoI had recently declined the number of police personnel in the province due to which the law and order situation deteriorated.

“Clashes between Afghan forces and the Taliban are underway in parts of Ghazni. The main reason behind continued clashes was shortage of policemen in the districts,” he said.

Nawroz added that the MoI also removed a joint demining and police unit from the province.

Khlialullah, head of the peace committee, said that the MoI was treating Ghazni province with double standards.

“Looking at the prevailing law and order situation in Ghazni, the MoI should have increased the number of police despite cut off,” he believed.

According to Khailullah, the situation was terrible and fighting was ongoing in parts of the province with low number of force.

Lal Mohammad, a resident of Paindi area of Andar district, said: “I have been serving with Afghan Local Police (ALP) forces from the past one year, we have captured many areas from Taliban, but the number of ALP force are limited and we cannot extend our presence,”

Provincial police chief, Brig. Gen. Aminullah Amarkhel acknowledged lack of number of police force.

“Police have been shifted from one place to another due to the lack of personnel. There is no other way but to manage situation technically,” he said.

He said he shared the issue several times with the MoI, but there was no satisfactory response.

The MoI had to resolve the problems, or the security situation would get even more worse in a number of areas, he warned.

Earlier, Amerkhel offered resignation and dispatched resignation letter to MoI. According to him he was forced to resign because of the injustice in the MoI.

MoI has yet to accept his resignation.

mds