Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Security, not Transition, is a Must

improved to develop into a permanent peace and stability in Afghanistan. Both Afghan government and international community must understand and appreciate this point and must work around the clock to make sure that there is no relapse and backsliding in the country after international forces fully leave Afghanistan in the couple of years ahead. It is much easier to safeguard and maintain the current situation and improve it further than to come back on a humanitarian mission, which is a moral obligation of international community towards Afghan people, to start things completely anew.

Over the last one year, international community has been running into rash decisions to transition security responsibilities of the provinces to Afghan security forces. They have already handed over the responsibility to national forces in some major areas, including Bamyan, Herat, Panjshir and Balk provinces.

But on Monday, October 24, a defense delegation of the Meshrano Jirga or upper house of parliament based on its assessment said that security situation in the above-mentioned four provinces has deteriorated after the security charge was transferred to Afghan forces from their foreign counterparts. The head of the defense commission, Bibi Roh Gul Nekzad, said."

The delegation's visit to the four provinces was aimed at knowing whether the transition is successful or not in order to start the second phase." It is said that the promises to meet the requirements of transition such as equipping police personnel have not been kept.

People are said to be complaining about the worsening security situation in those provinces assessed by the delegation. This is worrisome for the rest of Afghan people as well because they do not know what will happen if this transition takes place in provinces that lack the security of Bamyan or Panjshir.

It is very easy to trumpet the transition but it will run void of meaning if security deteriorates and people feel to be being plunged into new round of total disorder and war. Logic and wisdom tell us to delay the transition when it is not working or when it leads to security crises in this troubled part of the world, which in turn will pose threat to global security. This is because security is a must, not transition.