Herat Governor Compares Corrupt Officials to Kidnappers

Herat Governor Noor Ahmad Islam Jar said that serious efforts are underway to combat corruption in the province.

He said that those involved in administrative corruption are like kidnappers and will face strict action.

Speaking on the issue, the Herat governor said: “In the area of administrative corruption, we cannot say that there is no corruption in our institutions, but I assure you that very tough measures are being taken against it. I view administrative corrupt officials as kidnappers. If killing them were permissible, I would have told the Taliban to kill them. But since the law restricts us, we remove them from their positions and imprison them.”

Some residents of Herat have welcomed the governor’s firm stance against administrative corruption and have called on responsible institutions to deal strictly with those involved in corruption in order to prevent the loss of public property and state revenue.

A Herat resident, Mahmood Sharifi, told : “The people of Afghanistan, especially the residents of Herat, welcome this move. We heard the governor’s remarks on social media, and they were very good. Fighting corruption and uprooting it is a positive step.”

Another Herat resident, Waheed Ahmad Jamshidi, said: “One of the most important factors in the development of countries is fighting corruption. Countries that have developed or want to develop must continuously combat corruption in both public and private institutions.”

Some analysts say that fighting administrative corruption increases public trust in the government.

Mohammad Rafiq Shahir, head of the Herat Council of Experts, said: “The Herat governor has made a serious declaration against corrupt officials, which is a good step. Unfortunately, reports still emerge from government offices about obstacles and delays in work. This requires a decisive and sustained campaign to eliminate corruption and improve service delivery to the people.”

The Herat governor has called on citizens to report any cases of corruption they witness in government institutions.

He also warned that delaying people’s work and neglecting official duties in government offices will also be considered corruption, and those responsible will face serious action.