Afghanistan: ''Deteriorating security situation''

Despite the fact that Afghan security forces have been progressing well and fighting militancy bravely but the security situation on ground has been deteriorating. It clearly means there is still enough room for security improvement. Security measures should be beefed up across the country as during the month of Ramadan there was a marked increase in violence unleashed by the Taliban insurgents. In a recent terror incident the Taliban insurgents killed the son-in-law of a female senator, kidnapped her son and another civilian when they intercepted their vehicle in the Maqur district of southern Ghazni province. The Taliban have so far said nothing about the incident. The incident has just come a week after another female lawmaker and her husband were injured and their daughter killed in a similar attack in Ghazni. Each terror incident adds weight to this notion that the US war in Afghanistan has just been unraveling. And as it unravels violence goes on unabated. This surge in violence and mayhem is quit visible during the sacred month of Ramadan. The militants have become much ruthless as they didn’t spare the lives of innocent civilians on Eid day, Friday, Ramdan or Muharram. Nothing is sacred for them. Looking at the unabated bloodshed of Afghans by the Taliban, now this war-weary nation asks just one question—when will the common man stop becoming victim to violence, suicide attacks and landmine blasts? If anyone has its answer this war-hit nation has been desperately waiting to know. Yes, we are sure there will be no major reversals in post-2014 Afghanistan but despite that we cannot say that everything is okay and there is no problem. If we believe that there is no challenge it is nothing except deceiving our own and beguiling others into believing this notion. Security and peace have been absent particularly during the month of Ramadan and Eid days. But at last why? Was there any security lapse? If yes, it is a criminal inertia. But who is responsible for it, anyway? When the Taliban insurgents carried out three successive attacks in Jalalabad what we heard was that the government was going to reform police in Nangarhar. But unfortunately there has been no follow up. The problem is not only in Jalalabad rather the chaos is so deep rooted that every nook and cranny of the country is red with the blood of the common man. As the withdrawal of foreign forces has just started, Kabul and Washington are quite likely to be knotted in a key security agreement and the Taliban will try their utmost to unleash the floodgates of terror across the country. In such a situation it is highly needed that security measures should be beefed up across the country especially in the areas bordering Pakistan. It is too unfortunate that the security lapses during the past month have emboldened those who don’t want the development of this country and its citizens to accelerate their anti-Afghan deadly activities. To stem the tide of growing terror and militancy, bringing unity among our ranks irrespective of it who is who and what is what is highly needed. Besides that good governance, transparency, fast response justice system, and widening job bank are the factors that will set the foundations of a developed Afghanistan. Therefore, there should be some substantial programs initiated by the government, media, and education centers collectively for bringing unity among the different ethnic groups. If this time we—the different ethnic groups fail to stand united, it will be difficult enough to stem the tide of the growing militancy, which has already plagued our society and snatched away peace from this ill-fated country.