Story and photo by STAFF SGT. JERRY GRIFFIS/U.S. ARMY
Ghazni province has the potential to serve as a model for regional peace and stability, the provincial governor said during an event in 2013.
Ghazni provincial officials hosted a validation shura in Gelan district to nominate their best and brightest sons for the Gelan Afghan Local Police (ALP) program. Provincial Gov. Musa Khan congratulated local leaders on their decision to discuss plans for implementing the ALP program.
“Ghazni province is a crucial province for Afghanistan,” said Khan. “If we can achieve security throughout the province, Ghazni will become an example for others to follow.”
More than 100 elders throughout the district expressed their approval, as well as concerns for ALP in their region.
“We need ALP for our district,” shouted one elder at the shura. “Without it, what future do we have? What future do our families have?”
The local police program complements counterinsurgency efforts by assisting and supporting areas with limited Afghan National Security Force presence to improve security, governance and development. Ghazni’s importance is tied to its proximity to the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Nearby Muqor district implemented a successful ALP program. District Gov. Sahib Khan attended the shura and affirmed that Gelan could also benefit from such a program.
“What is the importance of ALP?” Khan asked. “It is to prevent the infiltration of our villages from insurgents, and it allows security to prevail.”
Ghazni provincial Police Chief Gen. Zirawer Zahid gave an emotional speech, which was well-received by those in attendance. “The pain I have in my heart as a fighter and the love I have for my country is too great to be extinguished,” said Zahid. “You elders and the youth, indeed, all of us, share this responsibility. Silence is consent for tyranny.”
One by one, each elder expressed approval of the ALP program. “For the past 30 years, there has been war in Afghanistan,” said an elder. “Our infrastructure needs to be repaired, and brick by brick, we can build it back. We all have one thing in common to help us work together, and that is our Afghan identity.”