Bolstered security spurs Khost businesses

KHOST CITY (PAN): Local officials say that the Khost province has witnessed enhanced stability with security parameters extended to border areas, enabling the government to gain enough control over remote districts.

Giving details of security in the restive province, Khost Governor Abdul Jabar Naeemi said that the Afghan security forces are armed with sophisticated weaponry, which has helped reduced security related incidents elsewhere in the area. He said that outlawed elements have been weakened to great extent.

In his chat with Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN), the Governor said that officials and people of the area could travel to any district of the province including border areas without sense of insecurity or fear. 

 He went on to say that a number of peace caravan are initiated in far-flung parts of the province, adding that he did not have any report that any quarter is hampering the peace move. 

He said that 5, 000 youth from Khost, influential figures from Kabul, neighboring province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attended a peace initiative held here two weeks back in an apparent attempt to arrest peace and discourage anti- social and state elements.  

Though the Afghan Local Police (ALP) is yet to be deployed in parts of Khost, he said, adding that the residents extended their all out support to the Afghan security forces to thwart rebels’ infiltration to the province and protect the border areas. 

In the backdrop of bolstered security, reconstruction work on various developmental projects is underway with work on National Solidarity Programme (NSP) has been launched that was considered insecure in the past, he remarked. 

Police Chief Brig. Gen. Abdul Qayum Baqizoy noted with satisfaction that criminal related activities witnessed record reduction in the wake of enhanced security in parts of Khost province.

“Continued public support, close coordination between people and government, bolstered professionalism of security forces, and setting up security check posts on key locations are some driving factors that ensure security and stability of the province,” he added. 

He said that earlier looting of people by armed rebels and robbers were common in Khost and other districts and their cars were snatched and then shifted to the other side of the border to North Waziristan, adding but now that problem has been resolved.

Syed Karim Khaksar, a member of provincial council expressed satisfaction over the security situation by saying that close coordination between military and civilians has helped improved security in the province, adding that people could travel elsewhere in the province.

He said that businesses in the area have boomed considerably with the improvement in security situation.

He argued that there is dire need for the Afghan government to increase the number of Afghan security forces, set up more check posts alongside the boundary with the deployment of ALP to some districts of the province— a move that tends to bring more stability to the region.

Syed Wali, a resident of Ali Sher District said that earlier there was poor security in the town with most of the development projects received great setback.

Abdullah Tanai, the resident of Khost and student of Teacher Training College said that the security is needed to be bolstered as there are some acts of bomb attacks and storming of police check posts by the armed rebels. “There is good security in Zazi Maidan District. The town sometimes suffers security incidents however, the Afghan security forces are capable to control the situation,” Malim Rahmat Shah, a resident of Zazi Maidan District said.

He says: “We urge the Afghan government to deploy more local police to the town, which will indirectly help people to find more job opportunities. On the other hand, people can handle to ensure security by their own in their areas.”