KABUL (Pajhwok): A number of people have called on the caretaker government to build a dam on the Kunar River, create jobs for the people and prevent ‘biased’ appointments and increase salaries of teachers.
The citizens also called for solution to the problem of passports by foreign based Afghans, not to give documents to right hand drive vehicles because they cause traffic accidents and increase pensions of retired people.
The IEA spokesman says the current system has been addressing people’s demands and executing anything possible.
Voice of people
On Monday (May 22), Pajhowk Afghan News launched “Voice of People” program to convey people’s problems, demands and suggestions to the authorities.
In the first part of this program, people were asked on Facebook and Twitter about their utmost demands from the caretaker government of Afghanistan.
This week’s question has so far been answered by more than 1,400 people in written, audio and video on WhatsApp, Facebook and email. The question has been liked by around 5,300 people on Facebook and nearly 6,000 people have seen it on Twitter.
In this report, Pajhwok compiled people’s written requests and suggestions regarding the establishment of a water dam in Kunar, creating jobs, passport related issues, increase of teachers’ salaries, pension of retired people, issuing of documents to right hand drivecars.
Employment
Ehsanullah, an employee of the Ministry of Interior in the former government, who is currently jobless, said the youth need jobs to serve their country and the government should provide them this opportunity.
Khan Haji, another individual, wrote: “I obtained my Batchelor’s degree in literature from Ghazni University six months ago, I completed my studies by borrowing money from people, but now no one gives me a job wherever I apply.”
He said he would choose to go abroad through smuggling routes if he was failed to land a job.
Shah Faisal Momand says: “Many changes happened with the arrival of the new caretaker government, most of the young people, especially literate, migrated to foreign countries, most of them with legal documents. I have also a bitter experience and memory of traveling to Pakistan like other young people. Living in Pakistan illegally has become more difficult than before.”
He demanded employment and said that many educated Afghan refugees had left the country due to lack of jobs.
“People having strong ties with current authorities are appointed,” he claimed.
Asadullah Wafa also asked the Islamic Emirate to give the educated people employment opportunities.
He also claimed: “Nowadays only those people who are relatives of the officials can find a job and even illiteracy not matters.”
Mohabatullah Hasanzai wrote: “My question is … When you apply for a job in any agency, they ask you in which group you did Jihad, who you were with, bring a letter and we will give you a job. And those who have no relations with the current officials, they are denied jobs.”
Construction of dam on Kunar River
Tahsil Gul suggested a bank account should be opened so that the Afghans, especially those living abroad, could donate money for construction of the dam on Kunar river. He said he was an engineer and was ready to work on the dam project for free.
Sail wrote: “Water is flowing freely from the Kunar River to the neighboring country, so if a dam is built in Kunar, it will benefit the country and the entire nation. All Afghans will be grateful.”
Another person, whose name has not been revealed, also asked the Islamic Emirate to allocate a budget for the water management of Kunar river and to generate electricity from it.
Saleh also demanded construction of the complex road in Kunar and said the road was key because it connected people of five districts.
Teachers’ salaries increase
SharifullahMajroh, a teacher of a public school in Kabul, said during the previous government, he used to teach for 28 hours a week and was paid 10,000 afghanis, but now he taught for 36 hours a week and received 8,500afs. He requested an increase in their salaries.
Some other people also asked for salary increase in their messages sent to Pajhwok Afghan News.
Passport-related issues and suggestions.
A person, who did not reveal his name, wrote that for the past two months a ‘tussle; was ongoing between the adviser of the Afghan embassy in Egypt and the staff of the embassy and they had stopped the work of the mission.
He said passports of many students in the country hadexpired and they needed to be renewed and the students were facing many problems.
Paindagul wrote: “Extending a five-year passport in the United Arab Emirates costs 1,600 riyals or 37,000 afghanis and the price of a ticket to this country is 2,000 riyals which is an injustice and must be stopped.”
Another Afghan wrote after the political change in Afghanistan, flights to the United Arab Emirates had stopped and the people were facing problems and the IEA should find a solution to it.
Haqmal wrote without details that Afghans in Saudi Arabia were facing the lack of passports.
Pension payment
Momand Khan writes: “I hope you will raise this voice. The pension of retired individuals should be paid because they spent their whole life serving the country and they should not be denied their right.”
Sardar WaliHewadmal urged the Islamic Emirate to give the right of retired individuals.
Some other people held similar views.
Shfiq Khan wrote issuing registration papers to lefthand drive vehicles in Afghanistan was also hazardous because it could cause more traffic accidents.
He wrote: “In Afghanistan vehicles steering is on the left side and it is driver on the right side of the road, if the matter of job generation is concerned then there are a lot of other options such as dropping the price of left hand drive vehicles, importing new vehicles, decreasing tax and using other available options.”
He said on Kabul-Jalalabad road daily traffic accident happens and the main reason is left hand drive vehicles.
Sameer wrote that people and economically not doing well and the IEA should waive off liabilities on the vehicles registrations completely.
Salaarzai Mohmand wrote: “In the previous regime, left-hand drive cars were given five-year documents, people took their cars from one province to another province, and now the registration of three-year documents has started. In the past, we got five-year documents, this is now a big problem, these vehicles (cars) are still undocumented, if they are available in every province authorities should cooperate and issue documents in the same province.”
Javid Amanzai wrote that the Islamic Emirate should control the fares because comparing to the past the price of petrol had declined.
Another person wrote that China gives Afghans poison in the form of sugar, the Chinese solar penal are from one side a technological advancement and from another side it setting a foundation of destruction in Afghanistan.
He said government should put in place a proper strategy to control the excavation of underground water through solar penal.
Gul Rahman wrote to the Public Works Ministry: “We support the fact that the reconstruction of the Kabul-Kandahar highway is underway, but no standard rules have been taken into account for passengers to travel there. Therefore, we strongly request from relevant authority and the responsible companies and the working teams there to spray the under construction area, main and alternative roads because people living there will live in a healthy and peaceful environment and it will help prevent diseases and passengers will be able to travel safely.”
Another person wrote that the resident of Aziz Khan Refugee Camp have been living without electricity and clean drinking water over the past several years.
Mohibullah Akhundzada wrote around 5,000 employees from the National Partnership Schemes yet to get their salaries and they should be paid.
Mohammad Afghan wrote there is not telecommunication service in the Ghazni’s Zankhandistrict and serious attention should be paid to this issue.
Shinwari asked the acting government to take step for the reopening of foreign embassies in Kabul.
Another individual claimed that in the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society administration relatives had been appointed and asked the IEA Reform Commission to conduct investigation in this regard.
Abdul Qadir Suhaib said that there were several issue in the health sector of Farah province, headed there are 1.3 million people in Farah province according to a non-governmental organization while health budget provided to the province was for 400,000 people.
Zafarzai wrote that IEA government should reduce taxes and the tax collecting officers should improve their behavior. Earlier Pajhwok also published similar report regarding public demands from the government in which some people had demanded the reopening of girls schools, showing flexibility in international relations, get public support, appoint qualified persons on key posts and create laws for good governance.
They also stressed over national unity and said a LoyaJirga should be convened to resolve outstanding national issues and stressed that besides white flag the tri-color flag should be given a place
IEA Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that government was committed to address public demands.
Referring to the public voice programme, he said: “These are public demands, government will hear it and inspect them, and every demand which is practicalwill be implemented. We have no issue with the public demands, people will definitely have demands and the IEA strived to address them.”
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