Monday July 11, 2016
Kabul (BNA) Officials of the Ministry for Interior (MoI) said, ‘the Afghan Local Police (ALP) are enjoying special equipment and training and are currently ensuring 40 percent of the country’s security.’ Head of the Afghan local police department, Ali Shah Ahmadzai said, ‘Afghanistan’s local police are operational in 6,800 small and big villages, 179 districts and 30 provinces of the country.’ Based on MoI, the number of ALP forces reached 30,000 that 94 percent of them are currently present in their duties, but a number of provinces such as, Panjshir, Bamyan, Khost and Nimroz are lack these forces. Meanwhile, senior MoI deputy, Salim Ehsas said, ‘a number of powerful individuals in local areas had been earlier influenced on local police, but now, these forces only obey their commanders’ orders in different districts and provinces of the country.’ As a result of reforms started since the last year to improve the situation in ALP ranks, more than 1200 of local police employees who were working for the local powerful figures have been dismissed, Ehsas further said.
Some local police forces had been established in a number of villages and districts not based on MoI procedure, Ehsas added. Fortunately now, 95 percent of ALP forces are directly ordered by the MoI not by powerful figures, Ehsas went on to say. Recently, the Afghan Local Police are enjoying special equipment and possibilities and it caused to decrease their casualties, Ehsas continued. In the meantime, lauding the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) capabilities, a number of lawmakers said, ‘the government of Afghanistan should further strengthen the ANSF.’ An MP, Hashimi said, ‘this is a fact that the ALP are in frontline and fighting armed oppositions, however, there are some misuse reports existed on local police in a number of districts and provinces of the country, but the MoI should be informed on their all activities.’ Based on local reports, harassment of civilians, asking bribes, sexual assaults, narcotics’ trafficking and having close relations with the Taliban are the issues the ALP have been faced recently.
But the MoI officials believe that the local police play significant role in ensuring security and stability as well as neutralizing armed oppositions’ activities. But a number of experts believe that the problems between people and the local police should be reviewed by MoI. An expert on military affairs, Atiqullah Amarkhil said, ‘the government of Afghanistan should carefully review the security programs of the local police, because, in some cases, they create challenges and problems to people.’ Therefore, existence of dream soldiers in ALP ranks should be reviewed so their exact number is specified, Amarkhil further said. This is while that the Afghan Local Police have been created in 2011 to ensure security of insecure areas and prevent influence of armed insurgents in some provinces.
Suraya Raiszada
