Afghanistan Times
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Insecurity has been steadily on the hike. Highways and roads are getting insecure. There has been a sharp increase in kidnappings on almost all major roads. Though roads are being built, distances are shrinking, provinces and districts are connecting, which play a vital role in the increased trade and business activities that augment the ailing national economy, but given the deteriorated security along the highways and roads, trade and businesses are also being affected. From Turkish engineers to Indian engineers have had been kidnapped while in the recent years and particularly the last month, kidnappings of passengers have witnessed a sharp increase. According to the World Bank, the road network in this war-wracked country comprises about 6,000 kilometers whereas 3,300 kilometers of roads will be rehabilitated. It will expedite the transfer of goods from one place to another and increase trade and business activities, yet at the same time the insecurity of roads is a matter of serious concerns. Four government officials were kidnapped from the Shiberghan-Sar-i-Pul highway in broad daylight. They were kidnapped while en route to their duty location in the Sar-i-Pul, a province where the First Vice President Gen. Dostum recently conducted military operation to cleanse the area of militants. Last week unidentified gunmen kidnapped five passengers from the same area. At times, because of insecurity along the roads, people in far-flung areas have staged protest demonstrations, yet their calls have not made any difference in Kabul as the government looks unconcerned. There have been no statements in response and no plans regarding ramping up security along the highways. And the reason is fear is unleashed. Businesses are being affected owing to the decline in security. According to public representatives and general public in Ghazni province, insecurity along the roads, impedes people from traveling from remote areas to the center. It looks Afghanistan is without defense strategy because even after the elapse of one year, there has been no defense minister in the office. The reason is the political chaos. The reason is the rupture between the office of the President and the office of the CEO. The journey made by the people and the country during the past 14 years had never been easy. This war-hit nation has borne too many troubles and rendered too many sacrifices and today what we see in terms of development and infrastructure was possible because of this greatest nation, however, now the pace of the development is arrested by the internal war between the President and the CEO. There is no sign of holding the Parliamentary elections. There is a spiraling crisis caused by electronic identity cards. People across the country are taking to the streets. They are demanding the inclusion of the words ‘Afghan and Islam’ in the new identity cards while the government sticks to silence as if nothing has happened. This ostrich policy is working no more. The government will have to break the silence. The president and the CEO must bury the hatchet. They must also bury the issue of identity cards. And once it catches length, perhaps the government will fail to reverse its implications.
