No uplift projects in most Ghazni towns last year

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): The governor on Thursday said insecurity deprived 14 of 18 districts of southern Ghazni province of development projects last solar year.

In an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, Governor Abdul Karim Matin said: “Most of the residents of these districts are Pashtun, some of them face high security threat and others moderate.”

He said Zanakhan, Nawa, Geru, Ajristan, Khogyani, Rashidan and Gilan districts were the most insecure.

He said no development projects had been implemented in the mentioned districts last year due to insecurity.

However, he said there had been no security problems last year in Jaghori, Malistan, Nawur and Jaghatu districts and development projects were implemented there.

“Daesh or Islamic State (IS) and other militant groups give money to Taliban in return for allowing them to fight against the government,” he said, but did not share any evidence in support of his claim.

“There has been complete coordination among the Afghan forces and implementation of development projects is planned in Ghazni in the new solar year,” Matin said. The governor said he had shared all the problems with the president.

Lal Mohammad, a resident of Deh Yak district, said no development projects could be carried out in most areas of the district due to insecurity.

He said the absence of development projects had left the youth with no option but to join the Taliban.

Mohammad Ashraf, a resident of Khogyani district, said: “Insecurity is on a high level here and the government was forced to shift the district headquarters to a safe area.”

He said their district remained deprived of development projects because most of its areas were under Taliban’s control.

Taliban are partial in control of several areas in Ghazni, where Nawa district has been with the rebels over the past 13 years.

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