SARAW, Afghanistan – Salam Jan, district governor, accompanied by the district augmentation team and the provincial reconstruction team, visited Saraw to engage the local populace and officially open the governance center, July 2.
Maliks and elders from throughout the Tagaw Valley gathered to listen to Jan give a speech about the role of the Afghan government in securing peace and working with local citizens to achieve success, said a local Afghan official.
"This is my first visit to Saraw and I am pleased to see how eager the district officials and citizens are to continue building strong relationships with the government," said Jan.
Historically, there has been a disconnection between Jan and people of the Tagaw Valley according to official reports. Afghan Local Police commander Haji Raziq hopes to improve relationships with Jan and believes this event is a step in the right direction.
"There have been many misconceptions about my support for the district governor. I hope to show the people that I support and acknowledge Salam Jan's position," Raziq said.
Jan and Raziq hope to foster a better working relationship which will allow Tagaw Valley citizens to benefit from better representation at the district level.
"By showing the people we are unified in our leadership, we hope to improve their perception of stability in the area," said Raziq. "We want to show the people that the Government of Afghanistan legitimately cares about them."