Balkh traffic police not paid for 7 months

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Some traffic police personnel in Mazar-i-Sharif complain they have not received salaries and meal stipends over the past seven months.

The alleged pledges held out to them regarding regular salary payments had not been honored. As a result, they are facing difficult times.

One traffic official named Mohammad Qaseem Rahimi said he had been serving the department for the past 10 years. However, the official added he had recently run into a financial crisis.

Over the past seven months, Rahimi, he had not received salary or subsistence allowance. He claimed discharging his duty on an empty stomach.

“I report for duty at 6:00am and work until 6:00pm. At times, I manage to buy something for eating. More often than not, I discharge my duty on an empty stomach,” he said.

The official appealed to the government to resolve their problems and pay their salaries on time.

Syed Ghazanfar Hussaini, another traffic police official in the provincial capital, said their job was extremely demanding.

He said they stood on roads in harsh winter and hot summer to control traffic and serve the masses. But still, they have been unpaid for months.

Over the past seven months, he added, he had to borrow money from people to support his family.

“I have borrowed from shopkeepers in our locality. I have to hide while walking in front of their shops,” Hussaini continued.

Balkh Traffic Director Mohammad Nasir confirmed the issue and said they had been in touch with central authorities. He hoped the problem would be resolved soon.

Police spokesman Mohammad Asif Wazir said in the wake of the new government’s takeover, changes had occurred in the system. As a consequence, he explained, salary payments had been delayed.

However, he said efforts were ongoing to ensure the payment of traffic police salaries as soon as possible.

nh/mud