Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Police in Northeast Need Reforms: Jahid

Police in Northeast Need Reforms: Jahid

TALOQAN - Interior Minister Taj Mohammad Jahid on Tuesday said the police in northeastern provinces needed reforms.
Addressing a gathering in Taloqan, the capital of northeastern Takhar province, the interior minister said they were evaluating problems concerning security and wanted to find skilled police personnel who could enforce law, implement social justice and keep security.
Jahid has been touring northeastern provinces over the past three days to evaluate security related issues.
“Though police job is to enforce law, maintain security and prevent crimes, but due to the existing problems, police are fighting in the frontline against Taliban. But we are trying to evaluate all these issues and bring about reforms.
Deputy governor Mohammad Farid Zaki said illegal armed groups and drug smugglers posed a huge threat to the security of Takhar province, but the provincial administration could not deal with the two problems.
Zaki said they had many times urged the presidential palace, the Cabinet and the Interior Ministry to come up with a strong stance against illegal armed groups and drug smugglers or allow the provincial government to take on them on its own.
“We are fighting against Taliban, but drug smugglers are undeclared enemy who are more dangerous than Taliban because they have endangered Takhar security. It is good that the interior minister has come here to closely assess our problems and take decisions,” the deputy governor said.
He said the number of illegal armed groups had increased with the passage of time in Takhar. These illegal gunmen travelled in vehicles with tinted glasses and were involved in armed robberies, kidnappings and murders, he added.
Takhar provincial council head Roohullah Raufi said a number of illegal armed groups were affiliated with certain ethnic and political groups.
He lashed out at security organs for lacking coordination among them and warned the situation could further deteriorate if coordination among them was not created.
But Takhar police chief Brig. Gen. Noor Mohammad Hakimi listed low salaries of police, their fewer number and a lack of heavy weapons as challenges in improving the security situation.
Interior Minister Jahid spent two days in Badakhshan province before arriving in Takhar yesterday. He is expected to leave for Kunduz. (Pajhwok)