One of the major challenges in the second round of election will the security arrangements by Afghan security forces. It is necessary that there should be peace and tranquility before and during the election day so that people get more confident and do not hesitate to cast their votes. If there are shadows of fear, definitely, the turnout of the voters would be less than the first round.

Nonetheless, the arrangements by Afghan security forces in the first round of elections were really satisfactory and there was not any major incident that could threaten the people to avoid casting their votes. However, they have to prepare themselves to guarantee better security arrangements as the insurgents would try harder to create hurdles in the second round as they failed to do so in the first round.

Furthermore, some current reports mentioned by Ministry of Defence (MoD) indicate that attacks from anti-state elements and insurgents supported by regional intelligence networks would increase in the lead-up to and on the polling day.

So, to counter the mounting efforts of the anti-state elements it is necessary to counter them with more preparation and determination. The experience gained during the first round would definitely support the security forces to design better arrangements and overcome deficiencies.

MoD spokesperson, Gen. Zahir Azimi, in the same regard, told reports that the first round of elections had been a vital experience for security forces, especially the Afghan National Army (ANA), to review flaws and fill gaps.

He said public support for security forces in the April 5 elections kept the morale of forces high and the Afghans would support their forces in the runoff ballot as well.

“We don’t take threats easy. Information shows the enemy will step up anti-state activities. The country’s security forces have the ability to thwart evil designs of the enemies of Afghanistan,” he added.

It is extremely important for Afghan people to support the security forces as much as possible as they require the moral support of the people more than anything else during this crucial juncture. The respect and love that the people will dedicate to the security forces would motivate them to do their tasks with complete devotion and dedication.