Qalandar district governor in Khost has said the Taliban is in control of the district and came out in defense of the insurgent group, saying they were decent people.
 
He said the group has its own shadow governor in the district along with military officials.
 
The district governor, Warikhman Gul Bashry, said the district’s affairs are being controlled by the Taliban.
 
However, the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) lashed out at Bashry over his remarks and said an investigation into the matter will be conducted.
 
“The independent directorate of local governance will act in accordance with the law and will introduce them (governor) to the judicial institutions,” said Muneera Yousufzada, a spokesman for the IDLG.
 
Meanwhile, police forces, stationed in Khost and assigned to maintain security in Qalandar district, have reportedly not gone near the district in the past few years.
 
“They dare not go to the center of the district,” said Abdul Hanan Qaladar, a tribal elder from the area.
 
Khost provincial council meanwhile confirmed government does not have control of Qalandar district.
 
“I accept that there is no story of war in Qalandar district and the reason is because government is not active there,” said Qadim Afghan, a member of the provincial council.
 
The spokesman for Khost government however said they do not agree that their governor has made such remarks.
 
“I don’t think that our governor has said that government does not have control over Qalandar district. I think he may mean that currently we cannot control the district in a way we did before,” Mubarez Zadran said.
 
Qalandar district is located in the northern parts of the province, almost 40kms from Khost city.
 
The provincial council said that in the past 14 years, government has managed the district’s affairs from Khost city as Taliban are active in all parts of the district.