Herat Governor Likens Corrupt Officials to Kidnappers, Vows Strict Action

Herat Governor Noor Ahmad Islam Jar stated that serious efforts are underway to combat administrative corruption in the province, comparing those involved to kidnappers who will face tough measures.

"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," Jar said.

Some Herat residents welcomed the governor's stance. Mahmood Sharifi told TOLOnews: "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."

Waheed Ahmad Jamshidi added: "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."

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."

Jar called on citizens to report corruption in government institutions and warned that delaying people’s work or neglecting duties would also be treated as corruption, with those responsible facing serious action.