Southwest Afghan governors meet in Kandahar amid concerns over insecurity and smuggling
Independent sources say a coordination meeting of governors from Afghanistan’s southwest zone raised concerns over increased activity by opponents of the Taliban administration, a rise in criminal offences and fears of the expansion of drug smuggling — issues that have direct effects on the daily lives of residents in several provinces.
The Kandahar governor’s media office, under the Taliban administration, said the meeting was chaired by Mullah Mohammad Shirin Akhund, the governor of Kandahar, and attended by the governors of Zabul, Helmand, Uruzgan and Daikundi, along with a number of security and military officials.
According to the office, participants discussed the security situation, preventing land seizure, combating the cultivation and smuggling of narcotics, and increasing coordination between civilian and security institutions.
However, the Taliban administration did not publish any photos or videos from the meeting.
The meeting was held as reports say organised crime and insecurity have increased in several Afghan provinces, while drug smuggling has also intensified — issues that have previously raised concerns among the public and local institutions.
