The series of uprisings against the Taleban in Ghazni spread to Nangarhar and Kandahar. Local authorities rejected reports of the uprisings. The government has no reason to cheer.
The series of uprisings against the Taleban in Ghazni spread to Nangarhar and Kandahar. Local authorities rejected reports of the uprisings. The government has no reason to cheer.
Attaullah Jan Habib, the member of parliament from Kandahar, said there were protests because the Taleban closed down public services. “The people have been bothered by the Taleban for the past many years. Now the area is out of the control of insurgents. The government should pay attention to the needs of people in Zhari district.”
Government authorities Killid spoke to were playing down the protests. Javed Faisal, the spokesman of the Kandahar governor, said the Taleban did not have much influence in the province, but in some areas their behaviour was a problem. “If the people are in trouble with the Taleban, the government is ready to help them and save them from the cruelty of the armed Taleban,” he proclaimed.
Local authorities in Hesarak district, Nangarhar, have rejected reports of an uprising. They said they had cleared 80 percent of the district of Taleban through an agreement with various tribes who were dissatisfied with the insurgents.
Haji Abdul Kahliq, district governor of Hesarak, told Killid that tribal leaders decided not to shelter Taleban and those who flouted the rule would be punished. Their houses would be burnt, or they would have to give a cow or be fined 50,000 Afs (roughly 900 USD). The stiff penalties had helped turn the tide against the Taleban, he claimed.
According to a government source, the areas of Jokan and Lajkar in Hesarak district have been cleared of the Taleban. Some armed opponents of the government have also been arrested from the remote district.
Forging unity
Locals in Khogiani district, Nangarhar, have confirmed the reports of tribal groups uniting to oppose the Taleban.
“This is tribal unity; the general goal is that the tribes should sit together (tribal council) to forge unity,” said Ziaullah, a resident of Khogiani. He explained that there are efforts to prevent conflicts over land, which is at the root of many tribal conflicts. “The villagers are not satisfied with either the Taleban or the government. This is not an uprising, this is tribal unity!”
Ahmad Shah, a resident of Hesarak, was of the view that locals have united to resolve conflicts, and not just to oppose the Taleban “Whatever you have heard are lies. I am an eyewitness. No uprising has happened against the Taleban,” he said.
Two tribal leaders whose names were not revealed were interviewed on Azadi Radio on the uprisings. They said armed opponents of the government had forced locals to give them shelter and beat up people. “Hands were being broken; people were being killed. Everyone hated the situation,” a tribal leader said. “We support them (people). We will not let anyone carry out indecent actions,” the other tribal leader said on the radio.
Members of Parliament from Nangarhar said the uprising was in protest against the closure of rehabilitation projects by the Taleban. Aryan Yoon, MP from Nangarhar, blamed the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan) of using the Taleban to close schools and development projects. “The people had no choice but to rise up,” he said.
Taleban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed the uprising in Hesarak district was a fight between Taleban and Afghan Local Police (ALP). However, Najibullah Danish, the deputy spokesman in the Ministry of Interior Affairs told Killid the ALP does not have a presence in the district.
Who should the media believe?
The contradictory statements indicate there is constant change, and flux, in the situation. With the country awash in arms the government has a tough job of ensuring security.
Haji Sakhi Mashwani, a member of the internal security commission in parliament told Bashir Gowakh, an independent journalist, “On the one hand the nation is disarmed and the other hand they (opposition) are equipped. I think (new) forces will be created, the experiences of parties would be repeated, some people would have weapons and some of them would be disarmed. The war will go on.”
Killid interviewed Haji Haibat Khan Haqyar who led the uprising in Andar district, Ghazni. He said: “If there is an organised government and security, or the current government can assure security, we will lay down our arms. If someone has brought his own gun we will give it back to him; we will also hand over the weapons to the government. We have students of medical and engineering. They don’t want to create disasters. The war has been imposed on us.”
Meanwhile, there is cautionary advice from retired major and military expert, Ghulam Sediq Kamawi. He said the armed groups behind the uprisings are outside the influence of security forces. “Security forces may have contacts with the local groups on the ground, they help them when they need help, but when the groups get a sense of power, they will no longer be under anyone’s control. The Taleban will be thrown out, and they will occupy their places. (Our) neighbours will fund them. We could be victims of another civil war.”
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