Interview with the governor of Khowst

Fifty-six-year-old Hakim Taniwal, the governor of the southeastern Afghan province of Khowst is an unusual administrator in today’s Afghanistan. With most provinces controlled by warlords, regional strongmen and militia commanders, Taniwal lacks any such credentials because he was an anthropology professor at Kabul University before going into exile two decades ago. In an exclusive interview with IRIN, Taniwal warned that Al-Qaeda and Taliban continued to be a threat to security in southeastern Afghanistan. Despite rebel commander Badshah Khan Zadran openly contesting his authority, he expressed hope about restoring stability to the volatile region very soon. QUESTION: What is the humanitarian situation on the ground in southeastern Afghanistan? ANSWER: As you know we have a tribal social structure and people can unite over some issue, but at the same time remain divided over others. After the tragedy of the past 23 years the conditions of the people of southeastern Afghanistan are not good, but they are improving gradually. The three years of drought have devastated the livelihoods of the people. People’s homes and farmland were being destroyed. They do not have any employment and [are in] need of help. Some aid agencies participated in a seminar on 22 July that was held to draw attention to humanitarian problems. The aid agencies have reservations on security. Security and employment are interrelated. The security has definitely improved since I arrived here earlier in the year. We have 600 police and 600 trained soldiers and are training another 800 former combatants. The tribes are also cooperating for improving security in the region. Q: The coalition forces have recently ended a mopping-up operation in the region. Are Al-Qaeda and Taliban still a threat to stability in the region? A: Al-Qaeda and Taliban are a potential threat, because they are present across the border in Pakistan’s tribal areas. They may try to infiltrate or engage in sabotage activities, but they are certainly not strong enough to overthrow the government. I would say that they remain a potential threat. Q: Is there any sympathy for Al-Qaeda and Taliban in the region? A: There is no sympathy for Taliban and Al-Qaeda among the people. Although there might be some individual sympathisers. Q: Rebel warlord Badshah Khan Zadran has repeatedly challenged your authority. How are you coping with that now, and what effect that is having on the population of Khowst? A: Badshah Khan Zadran does not only claim the governorship in Khowst. He also wants to control the neighbouring Paktia Province. He developed a complex after being driven out of Paktia when he was appointed governor there following the fall of Taliban. Although his major obsession is with Paktia, he has also been challenging us in Khowst. We have isolated him slowly, because we don’t want to fight him. Most of the people, even from among his Zadran tribe, have deserted him. Q: Khowst is a predominantly Pashtun area. Are there any tensions between the various tribes? A: There is no active fighting at the moment, but there are tensions and disputes, which may eventually end up in fighting. In our part of the country tribes have always been struggling to control the natural resources such as forests, water and pastures. Q: Media reports suggest Pashtun dissatisfaction over power sharing in Kabul. How do you view the situation? A: As you know, Pashtuns being the majority had a leadership role in Afghanistan, but now that has changed. Of course, President Karzai is a well meaning and a credible Pashtun leading the nation, but some are not content with that. Nonetheless, Pashtuns are waiting and they are looking forward to national reconciliation irrespective of the fact that who rules Afghanistan. I must however, say that they have not received a fair share in the cabinet and other power sharing arrangements. Q: How are you coping with new arrivals in terms of food and shelter? A: We have not received a large number of returnees but, recently, fighting between tribes in Miranshah [a Pakistani tribal town bordering Khowst] forced some 200 Afghan refugee families back to the region. We then requested [the office of] UNHCR [the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] to help the returnees, but it has barely started functioning in the area. We could not help the returnees because we lack resources. Q: What is the state of the forests in the region? A: In comparison to a few decades earlier, we have a lot less forests, but now there is no rampant harvesting of these. You will see an extensive devastation of forests going on in the northeastern Afghan provinces of Konar and Nuristan. We want to rehabilitate our forests because lots of livelihoods in the region depends on them. We also need to generate alternate resources. A lot of advocacy is also essential. Q: What kind of health-care and education assistance are you providing to the population in Khowst? A: Recently, the Afghan university in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar has been ordered to be move into Khowst. Students are enthusiastic to return to schools. Although around 98 percent of the boys are going to school, a lesser number of girls attend. We have more then 1,200 teachers for some 200 schools. Although the infrastructure is devastated, people are motivated enough to keep the institutions running on a self-help basis. Q: How optimistic are you for the future of Khowst? A: In am optimistic that within a few days' time we will restore complete security in the province through negotiations. We will then begin the reconstruction of Khowst.