Afghanistan Times
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They gory Taliban are out to unleash terror. They are out to spill the blood of innocent Afghans. Sometimes they unleash terror in Badakhshan by capturing districts. And sometimes they unleash terror in many other parts of the country. Earlier they used to storm and capture villages and districts but this time they captured a provincial capital city. Even the capital city Kabul is bleeding at their hands. Kunduz is crying. Helmand is burning. Nangarhar is bleeding. Paktia, Paktika and Ghazni are moaning. Yet, what the government is up to? How long will it play like a silent onlooker? This time it is a city. The government must think about what could be next? A province? They stormed the capital city of northern Kunduz province. They took shelters in civilian houses. They captured parts of the city. They also stormed the only hospital in the city as well which made the health personnel dysfunctional to deliver health services to those who received injuries. Reportedly they captured four strategic buildings, including the police headquarters, the office of the local High Peace Council and the governor’s office besides a hospital building. They closed the main entrances into the city, making it harder for the civilians to flee. A fierce battle was ongoing between the security forces and the Taliban fighters. This is the first provincial capital city to fall to the Taliban since their ouster in 2001. And this has happened on the first anniversary of the national unity government (NUG). At least 21 people were killed when the Taliban put siege to the city. Given the rifts in the power corridor and the performance of the government, security situation will become even more worrisome. What did a member of the Parliament from the Kunduz province, Abdul Wadood Paiman, said is quite different than what is being painted by the interior ministry’s spokesman, Seddiq Seddiqi. Paiman said that Kunduz city has fallen to the Taliban. He said that the Taliban stormed the city from different points and captured government’s buildings. The spokesman of the Kunduz police department, Sarwar Hussain also confirmed that the city has fallen to the militants. He said that the Taliban has captured the compounds of police headquarters and governor office. The Taliban stormed the city in such a time when the governor of this troubled province is in Tajikistan and its police chief is in Kabul. Though the Taliban wouldn’t be in the position to keep the siege for longer, but their attack is enough to unleash terror among the civilians and make them believe that the government no longer is capable of protecting people’s lives and maintaining security. This coordinated has come hard on the heel of a deadliest attack in Paktika province that left 12 people dead and over 40 injured. When the government has cancelled peace negotiations with the senseless Taliban, then why it is not designing a new security mechanism and offensive? Does the government still think that its peace appeals will work out? Even after such a biggest security failure, will the government’s leader remain at loggerheads over the appointment of a defense minister? The problem is there is no opposition political party that can press the government to reform certain policies and avoid the tussle inside the power corridor. There are a few powerful individuals who from time to time are giving vent to their anger, but it doesn’t suffice. There must be a powerful political party which must be reminding the government of its mistakes.
