Kandahar’s powerful police chief general Abdul Raziq on Thursday warned that the dismissal of Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor would have significant implications on the security situation in the province. 
 
Meanwhile, a leading figure of Jamiat-e-Islami, a party where Noor is serving as chief executive, has said that Noor is ready to step down as governor on condition that government returns the authorities of the ministries and embassies that were previously led by Jamiat. 
 
According to general Abdul Raziq, the presence of Noor as Balkh governor is crucial for security in Balkh province. 
 
Jamiat officials have alleged that the government has also suspended the jobs of Afghan ambassadors to Tajikistan and Bangladesh, which were supposed to be Jamiat posts, including the ministry of education and economy. 
 
“Balkh is the only province where there is partial security and where the business community has investment trust; refugees go there, may God keep this province secure so that problems are not created for the people,” said Raziq.
 
Mansour, from Jamiat, recommended that the government must engage in discussions with the Jamiat party to resolve the deadlock. 
 
This comes after the presidential palace claimed that Noor’s disagreement with the government was only about Mohammad Dawoud, the man who has been proposed as Noor’s successor, but Jamiat officials have dismissed the claims as baseless. 
 
“Conditions do not surround only the coming of a person in Balkh province, it also involves other conditions which include the ministries and embassies which were led by Jamiat and they need to be accepted by the government,” said Abdul Hafiz Mansour, a member of Jamiat leadership council.  
 
On the proposal of Mohammad Dawoud as new Balkh governor, Mansour said, “I know that Mr. Dawoud has been appointed for the security of Balkh not for the Balkh province.”
 
But Dawoud said: “It is the responsibility of the government over how it sends me to Balkh province and what measures it takes for it.”
 
This comes after the presidential palace this week in a statement announced the dismissal of Noor as Balkh governor. Noor has served as Balkh governor for almost 14 years.