KABUL - Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are not able to take security responsibilities and the third phase of transition will face major challenges, Afghan MPs said Tuesday.
The MPs also cited that the decision made yesterday by President Hamid Karzai to start the third phase of security transition should be revised because Afghan forces are still not fully trained and equipped and are not able to hold security without the help of another major military force.
Herati MP Saleh Mohammad Saljoqi believes that the conditions are not yet set for the Afghan forces to take the important responsibility of holding security.
"We are still not ready for the start of third, fourth and fifth phases of transition because the situation is not ready for the Afghan Police and Army. They are not fully trained and equipped yet," Mr Saljoqi said
"Afghan forces need many years to learn how to fight such incidents.

It was a rapid decision. We hope we should have a break to get ready for the transition," he added.
Meanwhile, Kunduz MP Fatemah Aziz believes that hasty security transition could deteriorate the situation in the country.

"Even with the presence of foreign forces, our public figures are getting killed, we are in a situation that if the transition takes place, we will go towards insecurity," she added.

Some other MPs believe that circles within the government are against peace and stability in the country as they according to the MPs helped the assassins run away after killing an important peace envoy in Kabul.
Military experts believe that security transition will not be successful if government fails to gain the trust of Afghan people.

They also cited lack of enough training and equipment of the Afghan ground and air forces.
"Nothing important has been done in the past decade to gain the trust of people, if government wants the transition to be successful, it should gain the trust of people." Noorulhaq Olomi, military expert told Tolonews on Monday.

"Currently Afghans have no control over Afghan airspace, how could we claim to have control over 70 percent of the country?" he added.
Another Afghan military expert, Amanullah Zadran stresses that if ANSF are to take full responsibility they should be fully equipped with modern military machinery and weapon.

Transition is a step forward for the Afghan security forces, but unfortunately our ground and air forces are not capable of holding security. If international community wants the transition not to fail, it should fully equip Afghan security forces with high technology and modern military equipment and war planes," Mr Zadran added.

The third phase of security transition was officially announced by President Hamid Karzai on Sunday.

Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi said that all the provincial capitals are part of the third phase of transition and work on the third and fifth rounds has just started.
According to Mr, Faizi 120 administrative units will be transferred to the Afghan security forces. (Tolo News)