Gen. Murad Ali Murad, the former deputy minister of security for the interior ministry on Tuesday said the Afghan police forces are under-equipped and in a bad way. 

Murad made the remarks at his farewell ceremony in Kabul.

Gen. Akhtar Mohammad Ibrahimi has been appointed as the new deputy minister of security for the interior ministry. 

Murad said at the ceremony that police forces do not have enough weapons and, in some cases, they do not receive enough food. 

“Our police forces are deprived and in a bad situation and no one (official) deserves to receive rewards and they do not have the right to say I did this. Afghan police are in the worst situation today,” said Murad. 

Murad said the situation was worrying and work needs to be done to rectify the problems. 

Ibrahimi, the new deputy minister said the high casualty rate among security forces was worrying. 

According to Ibrahimi, corruption, not giving the right jobs to the right people and people’s lack of trust in police are key challenges faced by the police. 

“The work (past work) in the interior ministry has created a bad picture of police in people’s minds. While our police suffer the most fatalities in defending the country and the people,” said Ibrahimi. 

Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak in the meantime acknowledged that food did not always reach the police forces and that some people are embezzling money meant to be spent on food. 

Barmak said although millions of dollars has been given to the interior ministry over the past few years, the police forces still lack modern weapons. 

“I call on all the people, on the private sector of Afghanistan, on Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries and on the contractors to please make an oath and promise the Afghan people that you will not give money (bribes) to corrupt police officers,” said Barmak.