Afghanistan Times
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President’s special envoy for reforms and good governance, Ahmad Zia Massoud, directed officials concerned to recover the grabbed state-land, right away. He said Wednesday that grabbing of state-land continued in the past decade as no institution could stem the tide. Massoud vowed the government will support efforts of the justice ministry in recovering the state-property from the bigwigs. He rightly pointed out that the justice ministry failed in representing government cases in an efficient manner though he also hailed the role of the ministry.
There has been a serious rant against land grabbing, but little has been done in recovery. The government has been formed. General public has attached too many hoped with the National Unity Government. Now that Massoud has pointed at a social, political and economic disease, it needs to be cured before it become incurable. It must be given a bitter medicine. And the medicine is zero-tolerance for corruption, land grapping and illegal mining. It must be dealt with severe punishment. All must be equal before the law. Those who have been devouring national wealth, resources and lands as if they were their personal wealth must be behind bars instead of roaming in armored vehicles and living in barricaded houses. This is very much unfortunate that there has been no serious crackdown against these illegal practices. From Khost to Badakhshan, illegal mining is at apex. Land grabbing has reached to record higher. Poppy cultivation is increasing. Sometimes, one wonders is there any law in this land? And if yes then where is it implemented? No implementation means no law. Many of these powerful individuals have backing of militants. An anti-terrorism court needs to be established where not only the militants but also those who are being backed by them must be trialed. The problem is the lack of political will. And the problem is no one has fear of law in their hearts. And the problem is that the land grabbing is not going in areas which beyond the government’s accessibility rather it is what is happening under the very nose of the government. On top of that the problem is the lack of coordination among the government, legislature, judiciary, and other institutions. Kidnappings are on the rise, insecurity is plaguing, poverty is bringing more people under its nagging fold, and corruption is at its apex. At last what is happening and why there is no stern action in sight against all these evils. If transparency and accountability is not heightened, the plunder of national resources will remain the same. To address the issue of rampant corruption, plunder of natural and national resources, the government will never succeed in establishing its writ. Afghanistan is not the only one hit by insecurity and war rather there are other nations as well hit by troubles and challenges, state-owned lands might not have been grabbed even in the deserts of the most lawless African continent. However, why we, as a nation, are unable to make progress in good governance and hesitate from clamping down on social, political and economic evils plaguing our society? Why national wealth is considered being personal wealth and law is used as a selective tool?
