Herat governor resigns under pressure

HERAT CITY (PAN): The governor of western Herat province, Daud Shah Saba, on Thursday said he had resigned under pressure from powerful individuals and favour-seeking elements.

Saba said this at a meeting with senior officials, including provincial council members and tribal elders, at the governor’s house in Herat City. He said he had been able to execute a number of key development projects since he assumed office four years ago.

He cited the establishment of an industrial park, roads, factories and other projects completed during his tenure. He said some powerful figures and favour-seeking elements did not want him to continue his efforts at developing the province. However, he did not name anyone.

Without going into details, Saba accused the Independent Directorate of Local Governance of creating hurdles to his stay in the governor’s house. “I feel sad for the Heratis, but some elements are not allowing me to work,” Saba said, as he burst into tears.

Saba said he had sent his resignation letter to the president after consulting his family and friends. He has requested the president to accept his resignation.

Participants of the meeting  chanted “Allah-o-Akbar” and shared their feelings with Saba. Provincial council member Mohammad Zarifi acknowledged the governor had done a lot to improve the lives of people and develop the province.

He said some former jihadi figures, commanders and the IDLG had been creating hurdles to Saba to force him into resigning.

Belonging to the Popalzai tribe, Saba was born in 1964 in Herat. After completing his primary school, he attended the Kabul Polytechnic Institute and obtained an MS in Economic Geology in 1986.

He taught in the same institute for six years. In 1996, he travelled to India where he obtained a Ph.D. in Earth Science from the University of Mumbai.

In 2000, Saba published a book Gozar Az Tangna, which is about his vision of sociopolitical situation in Afghanistan. He served as the President of Afghan Green Leave Consulting, LLC, which is a Kabul-based consulting firm registered with the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency. It was established in 2009 by Daud Saba and Martijn Hekman, an international development expert.

Saba is an Afghan Canadian who has been involved for about 20 years in international development, natural resources and environmental management, with a focus in Afghanistan. He has worked with many international firms and implemented projects in most of the provinces of Afghanistan.

Dr. Saba has recently served as the Human Development Advisor to President Hamid Karzai. On August 24, 2010, Saba was appointed by President Karzai as Governor of Herat Province after former governor, Muhammad Yousuf Nuristani, began running in the 2010 parliamentary election.

ma/mud

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