Within hours of a suicide attack on a mini van that killed 12 people including foreign civilians near Kabul Airport, all three ministers in charge of security were addressing Afghanistan’s upper house.
Within hours of a suicide attack on a mini van that killed 12 people including foreign civilians near Kabul Airport, all three ministers in charge of security were addressing Afghanistan’s upper house. Concern about security is mounting. Mohammad Reza Gulkohi takes a look.Newly-appointed Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi, Interior Minister Mujtaba Patang and Head of National Directorate of Security Asadullah Khaled were summoned by the National Assembly on Sep 18 to also answer questions about the worsening situation on the highways in Maidan Wardak, Bamyan Daikundi and Ghor.
There has been an increase in abductions and killings on the roads. As Senator Sayed Mohammad Sayeedi, said, “Everyone is witness that people are dropped from their vehicles and killed by opponents.”
He dismissed statements to the contrary issued by the head of the Complaints Hearing Commission who has described the security situation as “normal” in Maidan Wardak. “The fact is that the situation is very terrible,” he added.
Sayeedi told the ministers to investigate the situation and prevent murders on the highway. Another member of the National Assembly, Mohammad Nasiri, said people are being harassed in “different parts of the country”.
According to Senator Bilqis Roshan, the representative of Farah, the situation is so “risky” that 200 soldiers were killed in the last six months.
“The police commanders are not working together. The governor has established a security group for his security.” Roshan also complained about the increase in violence against women in the province. She said 70 cases of violence including 17 murders of women were recorded in the last six months.
Abdul Shakoor Akhlaqi, the chief editor of Human Rights Magazine published in Daribelieves members of parliament (MPs) have the additional responsibility of ensuring ministers deliver because it is they who have approved their appointments.
Enforcing security
NoorulhaqOlumi, a military expert and political watcher, said: “The MPs have to fulfill the expectations of people, which is to supervise government performance and control administrative corruption through reforms. Government has to be pressured to fulfill the wishes of the people.”
According to Olumi, there must be mutual cooperation between the people and security forces for the government to provide security.
“I believe if the government can get the trust of people, ensuring security is possible. There would be no need for a military presence and armored vehicles”
Security has become the biggest concern of people. Nadiya Rastagar, a student at the Social Science University of Kabul believes, “Everyday different parts of the country are becoming more unsafe. People expect the government to strengthen overall security.”
Fazlullah, a tailor, says, “I could comfortably travel to Ghazni province to sell my garments. But now I travel with thousands of fears and anxieties.”
Political observers see little chance of the situation improving unless there is greater coordination on security issues. In the upper house, Asadullah Khaled, the head of the National Directorate of Security, said “terrorists would be neutralised”. Promising to make the directorate efficient, he said it would combat the “propaganda war of Afghanistan’s enemies” through cooperation with parliament, the media and sophisticated intelligence gathering.
New Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi said he was optimistic the situation would rapidly improve since currently Afghanistan was still in the process of taking over security duties from international forces. “Let us count the national army as a powerful arm of national sovereignty,” he urged members of parliament. Mujtaba Patang,interior minister who is in the police, told the senators that he plans to introduce reforms and prepare the force to take over duties in 2014 when international troops pull out.
