Taliban are confronting civilians in Andar district of Ghazni Province. Tens of armed civilians have emerged in Andar district of Ghazni province to face Taliban in order to reopen the closed schools, clinics and social activities. It has been reported that there are tens of self-motivated armed fighters who have surfaced to combat Taliban in order to revive the sealed schools, clinics, and social activities in Andar district of Ghazni province in the last two months.
Lutfullah Kamran, the commander of the anti-Taliban armed group in an interview to BBC news said, "It has been ten years that we have been the victim of insurgencies by Taliban. They have sealed schools, clinics and no one dares to serve for the social welfare of the district." He added that they are tired of Talibanism and have decided to face them for reopening their schools, clinics and revive the reconstruction projects. Moreover, the commander in response to BBC news reporter said that they are being backed by the students, local leaders and elders. There is no political party involved in this anti-Taliban rivalry.
Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the deputy governor of Ghazni province, in a conversation to BBC news stated that the anti-Taliban movements in Andar distric is a public movement against the insurgencies and there is no political party and government department involved in this movement. Lutfullah Kamran who is a civil engineer has estimated his under command soldiers around 500 people, but Abdul Jabbar Shalgar, former MP has estimated the soldiers around 70 – 80 armed men. In addition, the commander added that they began anti-Taliban acts from Andar; they have occupied till Giro district and there are around 31 villages under the control of his soldiers. He added that the movement is welcomed by the local people and they have been cooperative with his soldiers.
Our mission acts against Taliban but it does not mean that we are helping the government. We neither want Taliban to rule us nor the government, since the government has not done fair for the welfare of our districts and villages. It is for ten years that Taliban have been demolishing our schools, clinics and properties, but government has not given any consideration to this matter and has not taken any serious action against Taliban in this district that is why we do not trust the government. He added that they do encourage government to help them reestablish schools, hospitals and social welfare activities but not in terms of military support for operations against Taliban. We are enough by ourselves; we do not need the government support in terms of fighting against Taliban.
On the other hand, Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the deputy governor of Ghazni province told that the government encourages such movements not in any sort of political frame work but in terms of defending the citizen's lives and human rights. The national army and national police have always guarded the civilians during the battle between Taliban and Anti-Taliban armed group.
"This is a public self-motivated movement and we are being financed by the people," Mr. Kamran said in response to the BBC news reporter's question regarding the financial backbone of the acts.
Lutfullah Kamran, in his interview to BBC news kept insisting that he wishes to expand his anti-Taliban movement all over the country. But the people think that such a movement is nothing more than political act. "The master mind behind these movements are the Islamic fundamentalist parties and some agencies within the government structure," Mohammad Ali Ali-Zadeh, representative of Ghazni province in national assembly said. He added that Lutfullah Kamran himself has been one of the active members of Taliban and now his boycott against Taliban is nothing more than a political game.
During the last ten years of battle against Taliban particularly in southern regions of the country, among all the districts in Ghazni province; Andar has been one of the most insecure zones in this province. As we have witnessed, the insecurity issues are all because the local people have been cooperating with the Taliban militants in this zone. Now the alternation of the scene is encouraging and appreciable. But considering a deep analyses of the reports, these sorts of movements are nothing more than forming another scene of greater share in government after 2014.
It has been for ten years that the international community has been pumping millions of dollars in Afghanistan to stabilize security in this country. But unfortunately, despite spending millions of dollars in southern regions for security establishments, nothing has been achieved yet. The main reason behind the government and international community's failure of sustaining peace and tranquility in southern regions is lack of cooperation by the local people with the security forces.
Lutfullah Kamran, who seems to be the mastermind of the Anti-Taliban movements, has claimed that the government has not been trust-worthy during the last ten years; they have been neglected by government. But as we have been witnessing since 2001, we have lost tens of our innocent army men in battle against Taliban in insecure zones such as Andar district in central Afghanistan and Helmand province of southern region. In comparison to reconstruction funds share for central provinces such as Bamyan and Daikondi provinces, government has spent millions more to establish peace in insecure zones.
The anti-Taliban group commander has claimed that they are being financed by the local people while Taliban have long been supported by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In addition, Kamran, who is the commander of anti-Taliban movements, has been one of the active members of Taliban for the last one decade in the region so, it is possible that these movements be the initial stages of forming another fundamentalist group. As the commander has stated that their movements do not mean that they are cooperating the government neither they are favoring Taliban.
"We are fighting to protect our people and revive schools, clinics, and social activities." "We appreciate the government in term of funding us to reestablish educational and health care institutes in the region but do not accept any form of armed support." This statement itself is quite controversial, if you are fighting to protect the people so what is the government doing? What is the guarantee that the government fund for education and health care projects will not be misused against the government?