Nangarharis blame voter centers’ attacks on police negligence

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Residents and provincial council (PC) members of eastern Nangarhar province say voter registration centers were attacked due to security forces’ negligence.

Meanwhile, Nangarhar Independent Election Commission (IEC) authorities also complained about police negligence in duty, slowing the voter registration process.

On the other hand, the police headquarters denied the allegations and said security forces were more active compared to the past in performing their duties.

Few days back, blasts at voter registration centers in Nangarhar caused casualties and discouraged people to register to vote.

Local residents say the government should at least make secure the registration centers.

Civil society activist Dr. Shukrullah Mashkor said: “I saw some voter registration centers where police paid little attention to security of the centers.”

“I visited a voter registration center in a school at  Amarkhel locality of Surkhurd district where a policeman was busy playing games on his mobile phone and school students were checking people instead of him.”

Another activist Niamatullah Hamdard expressed similar views and said until security forces did not pay strong attention to their duty, the voter registration centers would remain under security threats.

He urged police high ups to keep an eye on their personnel at voter registration centers in order to punish those found guilty.

Deputy provincial council chairman, Zabihullah Zamari, said police negligence had turned the voter registration process lukewarm.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News that voter registration centers were established in schools and mosques to prevent fraud, but the process faced security issue.

Provincial IEC head Zabihullah Wagari said due to police negligence at voter registration centers, public interest had decreased in registering their names.

He said each security incident had a huge impact on people registering as voters.

According to his information, so far 13,40,000 individuals including 35 to 40 percent of women, have been enrolled at voter registration centers.

Provincial police spokesman Lt. Gen. Hazrat Hussain Mashriqiwal said after the two incidents in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, the strength of security forces was doubled at voter registration centers and the oversight process on police duty increased.

He assured people if a policeman was found guilty of negligence he would be punished according to the law.

Pk/ma