DUSHANBE, October 13, 2012, Asia-Plus — The current situation in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) is calm and nothing threatens peace and stability in the region, GBAO governor Qodir Qosim told Asia-Plus in a telephone interview on Saturday.
According to him, heads of the country’s power-wielding structures have gathered in Khorog, the capital of Gorno Badakhshan to review the results of work of their lower units in Gorno Badakhshan over the first nine months of this year.
“Tajik chief prosecutor Sherkhon Salimzoda has held a meeting with representatives of the regional prosecutor’s office and returned to Dushanbe on Friday,” said the governor. “Minister of Defense Sherali Khairulloyev has inspected military subunits deployed in the region and he also returned to Dushanbe on Friday.”
Qodir Qosimov noted that Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimov was currently in Khorog to hold meetings with officers from local police stations.
As it had been reported earlier some sources noted on Friday (October 12) that senior representatives of law enforcement authorities are currently in Khorog to discuss issues related to strengthening of legality in the region. They are reportedly holding meetings with heads of local law enforcement agencies to discuss the weapons surrender process and the crime prevention issues.
We will recall that the clashes began in Khorog on July 24 when government forces launched a military operation against what it called “militants” following the murder of the regional security chief Abdullo Nazarov on July 21.
The authorities have blamed Tolib Ayombekov, a former warlord from the civil war who had been deputy chief of border unit in the Ishkashim district until recently, for the murder of the regional security chief Abdullo Nazarov. Hundreds of troops have reportedly poured into Khorog to hunt down Ayombekov.
Authorities also accused Ayombekov of drug-trading and smuggling tobacco and precious stones.
Tolib Ayombekov has denied the accusations and said the government is using Nazarov”s death as a pretext for cementing its grip over Gorno Badakhshan. Tolib Ayombekov surrendered to the authorities on August 12.
Another former filed commander of the United Tajik Opposition (UTO) in Gorno Badakhshan, Imomnazar Imomnazarov, was murdered by unknown assailants in his home in Khorog on August 22.
