Logar is one of the 34 provinces
of Afghanistan. The word of Logar is a combination of two Pashto words: Loy (لوى
"great") and Ghar (غر "mountain"). The population is predominantly Pashtun.
It is located in the eastern zone, southeast of Kabul, and the geography of the
province centers on the large Logar River which enters the province through the
west and leaves to the north. Its capital is Pul-i-Alam. Pahsto is the
predominant language spoken in Logar.
Logar Afghanistan
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Politics
Logar is a generally religiously
conservative province, although not to the extent of its southern neighbours.
The province's political history is a microcosm of Afghanistan's recent
turbulent past. During the period immediately prior to the US invasion of 2001,
portions of the province were controlled by both the Taliban and the Northern
Alliance. During the Jihad against Soviet occupation in the 1980s, Baraki
Barak, Khushi, Charkh and Pule Alam districts were controlled by Jamiat
e-Islami. The known tribes in Logar Province are Ahmadzai and Stanekzai.
Soviet Union
Logar was known among
Afghans as باب الجهاد' Bab al-Jihad', or 'the
Gates of Jihad' because it became a fierce theatre of war between Mujahideen
groups and the Soviet army and it was the main supply route of Mujahideen
coming from south and Pakistan and going towards Northern and Central Afghanistan.
According to Mohammad Hassan Kakar, a historian and personal survivor of the
war, the region was the site of the largest attacks by the Soviets throughout
the war; he further states that the military caused extensive casualties and
denuded, looted, and vandalized the area.[2] Swedish journalist Borge Almqvist,
who visited the province in 1982, wrote, "Everywhere in the Logar province
the most common sight except for ruins are graves".Almqvist, Borge (1984).
"International Afghanistan Hearing". In Committee for International
Afghanistan Hearing. Soviet operations included using bombing, the use of
flammable liquids to burn alive people in hiding, poisoning of drinking water,
and destruction of crops and farmland. According to Kakar, the Soviet actions
in this province amounted to genocide.[2]
Taliban preparing for fight in Baraki Barak district |
US Troops preparing for action against Taliban in Pule Alam |
District Leaders having a jirga in Logar Province |
People walking on the streets in Logar Province |
Geography
Logar can be generally described
as a relatively flat river valley in the north and central regions, surrounded
by rugged mountains to the east, south, and southwest. The district of Azra, in
the east, consists almost entirely of mountains, while travel to the Paktia
Province to the south is limited to the Tera Pass, a 2896 m high road that was
recently completed as part of the international reconstruction effort in
Afghanistan.
Although the government of
Afghanistan recognizes the Azra district as being in Logar, many
widely-accepted maps include it in the Paktia province to the south.
Capital
Logar's capital is the city of
Pul-i-Alam, located in the district of the same name. It sits on the main road
running from Kabul south to Gardez and Khowst province, which borders Pakistan.
Pul-i-Alam has seen a significant
amount of reconstruction since the fall of the Taliban. The main road to Kabul
was completed in 2006, significantly reducing travel time to the national
capital. Additional projects include numerous schools, radio stations,
government facilities, and a major Afghan National Police base situated just
south of the city.
Like most Afghan cities, there is
little municipal planning or services. Electricity is provided by diesel
generators, and wells are the primary source of drinking water.
Vegetation in Logar |
Education
The overall literacy rate in
Logar province is 21%, however, while nearly one-third (31%) of men are
literate this is true for just under one-tenth (9%) of women. There are around
168 primary and secondary schools in the province catering for 81,538 students.
There are nearly 2,082 teachers working in schools in the Logar province.[3]
There are several girls schools in the province, mostly located in Koshi and
Pul-e-alam. Due to the large Taliban presence in Chark and Baraki Barak, the
freedom of women in Logar does not always allow for an education.
Former First Lady Laura Bush with School Staff in Logar |
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