By Abdullah Qazi
July 3, 2018
Nezamuddin Qaisari, an ethnic Uzbek, is the police chief of Qaisar district in Faryab province. Qaisari, who is in his fifties, is also a commander of Khezesh-e Mardomi (Public Uprising), a local group in Faryab fighting the Taliban, and a member of the political party, Junbish-i-Milli Islami Afghanistan (National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan), led by Abdul Rashid Dostum.
On July 2, 2018, Qaisari was arrested by Afghan Special Forces, after a verbal confrontation turned violent during a security meeting in Faryab’s provincial capital city, Maimana. Four of Qaisari’s men were killed and four others were reported wounded in the clash. (i) A statement issued by the Afghan Special Forces (209th Shaheen Corps) said that Qaisari verbally attacked government officials in the meeting, and called them traitors. He also reportedly threatened to kill government officials, and burn down government offices. (ii)
As news of Qaisari’s arrest became public, hundreds of his supporters took to the streets to demand his release. Abdul Rashid Dostum, a close ally of Qaisari, released a statement labeling his arrest a conspiracy, and calling for Qaisari’s release. He also warned that Qaisari’s arrest will lead to further instability in the country. (ii)
Qaisari is fiercely anti-Taliban, and has always been very critical of President Ashraf Ghani’s management of the fight against the Taliban, especially in the north of the country. Qaisari has warned that if Faryab falls, the whole north of Afghanistan will fall to the Taliban.
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References
(i) Tolo News – Qaisar District Police Chief Arrested by Special Forces – July 3, 2018
(ii) 1TV Report – Dostum warns of consequences as district police chief arrested in Faryab – July 3, 2018
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