Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

ANP, Problems Multiply Despite Huge Investment

In countries like Afghanistan only a professional and well-equipped police force can counter crimes including terrorism. A police force that is involved in crimes itself can not give any hope to a nation. "Police is for serving the people" is the motto of Afghan National Police (ANP) but the question is, "Is it competent enough to demonstrate its motto practically?" According to NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A), the United States and its allies have spent $6.1 billion on bolstering the capacity of Afghan Police. In the year 2011 – a year that is vital to Afghan forces and they will soon begin taking over the security responsibilities on their own – more than $11 billion is being spent to train and equip both Afghan National Army and Police. Despite low capacity, the Afghan National Army (ANA) has appeared as the most creditable institution in the post Taliban Afghanistan. However, serious concerns over the competency of ANP exist as their problems have multiplied over the past years.

The ANP stand accused of extorting money from drug smugglers, gunrunners, brothel owners and gamblers, in return for looking the other way. A UN commissioned survey report released in February portrayed that the police force is widely viewed by Afghans as corrupt and biased, underscoring doubts about a planned Nato handover. About half the 5,052 Afghans surveyed across all 34 provinces said they would report crime elsewhere. In addition to corruption that has rooted deep in ANP, high illiteracy rate, affiliation with insurgents, drug addiction, drop-out rates etc remain big challenges for the ANP to nurture as expected.

In order to stand strong and effective against the insurgents, in addition to training and equipping, a cleaning-up process should be started for the purpose of diminishing the pitfalls the ANP has at current. Police's role has become more prominent as the transition process is to kick off soon. With current standing, it is far difficult for the ANP to serve the people as they should, enforce law and protect the Afghan people against the insurgents – the problem is especially serious in remote districts and districts where Taliban has influential presence.