Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Insecurity Haunts Afghanistan Consistently

Twin blasts hit Kabul on Monday, September 05, and resulted in the death of at least 24 people and injury to around 91 others. The blasts took place outside the Ministry of Defense, one after the other. It is more tragic to know that among the dead there are high-ranking security officials as well. Sayed Zaman, the police chief for PD2, and Razaq, the deputy chief of support for the Afghan National Army's (ANA) Regiment Unit, Zaman's deputy, head of the intelligence unit for PD2 and a number of other senior police officials are among them.
According to security officials the first bomb was detonated remotely while the second had been a suicide bomber. Officials also said the suicide bomber had been wearing an ANA uniform. Taliban has claimed the responsibility of the blasts.
Security personnel have been attacked several times in Afghanistan and sometimes even in the capital Kabul. They have really given some great sacrifices; however, the important thing is that their sacrifices should bear some fruit and Afghanistan should see the sun of peace and tranquility dawn quickly.
However, that does not seem to be near as the rise in insecurity seems to be consistent and it has been taking the lives of numerous people. Though security officials lose their lives in the war against terrorism every day, civilians also make a large number of casualties. The suicide bombs and the assaults by Taliban that try to target the security officials, in some way or the other, target the civilians as well. In certain cases, they even target the civilians directly. This has made the life miserable for the people in Afghanistan.
Since Afghan security forces took the responsibilities of the security on their own, the challenges have increased for them and Taliban and other insurgents have also intensified their attacks. They were able to threaten security to a large extent in different parts of the country, particularly, in Kunduz, Badakhshan, Nangarhar, Helmand, Faryab, and even in the capital Kabul.
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission’s (AIHRC) report for 1394 showed that civilian casualties in Afghanistan increased by 17 percent in that year. Based on the report, the violence scale in Afghanistan was unprecedented and more than 3,000 civilians were killed. Fifty percent of those civilians killed died in suicide attacks and roadside bombings. Among those killed or wounded 4,642 were men while 775 were women and 1,116 were children. These figures clearly show how the poor civilians are targeted mercilessly. They had to be given their basic rights and facilities; however, they are being denied not only those but their right to life is also being denied.
It is worthwhile to note that the insurgents are mostly responsible for the casualties though they claim that they do not target the civilians. According to AIHRC, armed opponents were responsible for 72 percent of the casualties while nine percent was at the hands of government forces. This means that the claims of Taliban insurgents that they do not target the civilians is a false one. They have been indiscriminate in their attacks and in certain cases they have even targeted the civilians intentionally so as to spread terror among the people. Though they claim to be the defender of Islam but they are not familiar with its true teachings. Islam prohibits to take the life of innocent people and it says that if a person kills a single person guiltlessly, he, in a sense, kills the entire humanity. However, Taliban insurgents seem to neglect this important teaching.
It is imperative to understand that it is not only the death toll. Besides the death toll, the ongoing conflict has also forced thousands of Afghans to evacuate their homes. More than 149,000 Afghans fled their homes in the first six months of the year due to ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, According to a UN report that was released earlier in the year. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said had mentioned that many of those affected were farmers who were missing critical sowing and harvest times.
It is really difficult for the people to leave their homes and their birthplaces. The new places are always unknown to them and it is really difficult for them to adjust at such places. Moreover, the new places do not always welcome them with open arms. The people already living at that place may not be happy by the arrival of new people and may not be ready to share the limited resources that they have.
Few among them may be economically sound and they may have travelled because of insecurity. Only they are able to start their lives anew, while most of them suffer from poverty and thus they have no other option but to find support in one way or the other. In some cases, the government or private support may reach to them but that also proves to be insufficient or ill-managed.
With the rising waves of terrorism and misery, Afghan government and authorities must strive to do their best in fulfilling their responsibilities and must make endeavors to ensure for the people a lasting peace and tranquility. People deserve a secure life, and they should be provided that in every possible manner.