New Paktika police chief called back to Kabul within hours

SHARANA (Pajhwok): Two hours after being introduced as the new police chief for southeastern Paktika province, Brig. Gen. Khan Zadran was called back to central capital Kabul, tribal elders and public representatives said on Thursday.

Zadran replaced Zarawar Zahid, who has been appointed as Nangarhar police chief, two days ago, but he was asked to return to Kabul for unknown reasons, according to tribal elders and provincial council members.

They said if Zadran had been dismissed as the provincial police chief, it would tantamount to making a mockery of Paktika people.

Tribal elder Wakil Badshah Khan told a press conference here that Zadran received a call from the Presidential Palace within two hours of assuming charge as Paktika police chief and was asked to return to Kabul.

He said the province was without a police chief for the past two days and the issue had angered the people of Paktika. He asked the central government to avoid decisions that eroded people’s trust in the regime.

Another tribal elder Haji Syedullah said the provincial police chief had been appointed by the interior minister, but he was called back by the president within two hours. He said such actions shattered people’s trust in the government.

He said Brig. Gen. Dawlat Khan Zadran was a resident of the province and he better knew problems of the people and could play a key role in strengthening security. The elder warned of launched protests if Zadran was not sent back to the province as police chief.

Provincial council chief Bakhtiyar Zadran also called the appointment of Zadran as the police chief a good decision. “Paktika is a border province where hundreds of insurgents had come to disrupt the security situation. The vacuum created with the absence of the police chief can offer a good chance to the rebels.”

Local officials have so far said nothing in this regard.

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