KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday said at the 10th graduation ceremony of Afghan police forces from the national police academy that “hiring should be conducted based on the police’s rules and regulations and no more personal recommendations should be accepted.”
He warned MPs not to visit the Ministry of Interior for appointments or promotion of their relatives and friends in the ministry. He said if this happens, names and videos of those lawmakers will be aired by the media.
“I direct the Ministry of Interior that all administrative affairs of young officers, senior officers, appointments, changings, promotions and implementations should be done based on the regulations of administrative affairs of officers,” Ghani said. “Any person who is appointed based on relations has escaped from the battlefield and the one who has been appointed by giving money that has been embezzled. I do not accept this condition.”
Ghani said to cadets that “their graduation belongs to all the people of Afghanistan. Today our commandos have doubled, and the air-force will also increase.”
Ghani also pointed out that bringing reforms in the police is needed in order for them to gain the people’s trust.
“If police cannot be trusted businessmen will not invest in the country and reforms can’t be brought which will have an impact on everyone’s lives,” Ghani said.
Ghani applauded the police for all their sacrifices especially as they are on the frontline and said they are “the ones people in danger turn to for help.”
He talked about future plans to improve the security institutions.
“The (Afghan) Air Force will be tripled and the Commando Forces will be doubled. This will give the space for (Afghan) police to focus on rule of law,” the president said.
Ghani said the police force members will have two big responsibilities: ensuring the security of the upcoming parliamentary elections and then the presidential elections. He said other security force members will help Afghan National Police in this respect. 
At the same event, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak assured the people that the Afghan police would stay impartial and would continue their duties in the framework of the law.
He promised to maintain gender equality in the Ministry of Interior.

“Recently, 15 women were appointed among the 45 newly-appointed officials in the Passport Department. More employment opportunities will be provided for women in the Interior Ministry,” Barmak told the event.  (Tolonews)