Local Governance in Afghanistan: A View from the Ground

Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit
2011
Sar-i-Pul Province
Geography: Sar-i-Pul is bordered by Jawzjan to the north and northwest, Faryab to the west, Ghor
and Bamiyan to the south and Samangan to the east. Its six districts are Balkhab, Gosfandi, Kohistanat,
Sayyad, Sozma Qala, and Sangcharak. Sar-i-Pul Town is the provincial capital.
Population and ethnic composition: The estimated population of Sar-i-Pul is 514,100. 159 Of these,
145,500 live in Sar-i-Pul Town. The largest ethnic group are the Uzbeks, followed by Hazaras,
Tajiks, Aimaqs and Pashtuns. Uzbeks and Pashtuns live mainly in the north, Hazaras in the south and
southeast, Tajiks in the east and Aimaqs in the south and southwest.
Governance overview: Post-2001, Sar-i-Pul has had five governors. Taj Mohammad Kohi, the first
and a Dostum loyalist, was replaced by Karzai in 2004 with Abdul Shafaq. This appointment provoked
a strong response from Dostum and Kohi. The current incumbent, Sayyid Anwar Rahmati, has close
links with Khalili.
Security: Sar-i-Pul has a history of turbulence, with conflicts between powerful local actors—most
notably factional fighting between Dostum and Atta Mohammad Noor in the years following the
Taliban. Tensions subsided after 2005. However, along with many other areas of Afghanistan, security
in Sar-i-Pul has declined sharply during 2010. A small number of criminals from Sayyad District
involved in drug and arms smuggling have been able to rapidly expand their activities to control the
greater part of the district and formed links with Taliban. When US-led anti-Taliban operations were
instituted in Baghlan in the late spring of 2010, Taliban fighters sought refuge with the renegade
group operating from Sayyad District. Thus started a growing number of incidents primarily aimed at
disrupting passage on the strategic highway connecting Sheberghan with Sar-i-Pul. The situation was
deteriorating in Kohistanat spurred, it was said, by a lack of economic opportunities. There is a small
Swedish PRT in the provincial centre.
Political parties: The three main political parties in the province are Junbesh-i-Milli, Jamiat-i-Islami
and Hizb-i-Wahadat (Khalili and Mohaqiq factions). Others present are Afghan Millat and Eqtedar-i-
Milli.
Education: Facility types and number in Sar-i-Pul Province:
Facility Type Primary Secondary High Madrassa Higher Ed. Institutions Total
Number 143 143 30 10 3 329
Source: Interviews with Ministry of Education provincial and district line department heads
Health: Facility types and number in Sar-i-Pul Province:
Facility Name PH DH CHC BHC SC MOB Other Total
Number 1 2 8 17 21 1 0 50
Source: Ministry of Public Health
Key: PH – Provincial Hospital; DH – District Hospital; CHC – Comprehensive Health Clinic; BHC – Basic Health
Clinic; SC – Sub-Centre; MOB – Mobile Clinics.
159 Afghanistan CSO Population Data 1389 (2010-11).
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