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| Afghanistan |
| Helmand Civil Society, Provincial Council Leaders Raise Concerns About Zulfaqar Operation |
| 2015-03-24 |
| [Tolo News] While the Zulfaqar operation in Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... province rages on, a number of local provincial council members and civil society activists have raised concerns about the human costs of the Afghan military's southern offensive against myrmidons. While security officials in Helmand have remained cagey on the details of the operation, civil society groups and local representatives have reported heavy civilian and military casualties. The Zulfiqar operation began in northern parts of Helmand province 37 days ago, yet little-to-no information has been provided about its results. Security officials have prevented the media from entering Sangeen district, the restive area where the operation is concentrated. With no obvious gains yet from the operation, the human and structural cost of the violence it has entailed has begun to spark criticism among local activists and politicians. "We are concerned with this situation; operations must have results and in this operation attention must be paid to the lives of civilians," civil society activist Agha Muhammad Quraishi said on Monday. "The ANSF must conduct operations that are effective, and it should not be that peoples' orchards and farms are destroyed with no positive results," another activist named Haji Muhammad told TOLOnews. Provincial Council members from Helmand have said they do not have any evidence that snuffies based in Sangeen have been defeated or even beaten back by the operation. "We have submitted our complaints to officials and we will try to become more aware of the conditions in Sangeen district," Helmand Provincial Council Chair Muhammad Karim Attal said. "As far as we know, security has not been completely maintained in Sangeen district." Others criticized the media's lack of access to the area of the operation. "The media has complained many times that they are not allowed in Sangeen district, and reports need to be prepared from Sangeen district, so that the people's voices are heard," Helmand Provincial Council member Bashir Ahmad Shaker said. |
| Posted by:Fred |