News Summary, Oct 3 pm

In this update: IEC forwards names of one provincial IEC chief to ECC for investigation. Standoff over Pakistan’s closure of the Torkham checkpoint continues. Karzai follows through on his promise to dismantle foreign private security companies.

Afghanistan – Election

• Fraud The IEC has forwarded the name of one IEC provincial chief to the security forces for his alleged involvement in election fraud. It has also annulled the votes of 11 polling centers. This brings the total number of polling centers whose votes have been annulled to 141. [DI] [AFP]
• Ghor More than 20 candidates from Ghor have alleged widespread fraud in their province and have brought their complaints to Kabul, demanding the IEC and ECC reconduct the electionsn there. [DI]
• Herat The parents and other relatives of Fauzia Gilani’s five campaign workers kidnapped and later killed in Herat province during the electoral campaign have accused Ms. Gilani and her husband of the kidnapping and murder of their relatives and sons. They asserted in a press conference that while their sons and relatives were missing Ms. Gilani suspected that her husband was behind the kidnapping. Both Ms. Gilani and her husband were candidates in September 18 elections. The governor of Herat has asked the security forces to investigate the issue. The security officials maintain that no evidence have been found so far to prove Ms. Gilani’s involvement in the incident. [8 am, Dari daily, Oct 3, 2010]
• Outgoing Wolesi Jirga Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts’ Network looks at the actions of the present parliament which continues to sit despite the new one has technically been elected. This, he writes, “is the result of a sloppy implementation of laws.” [AAN]

Afghanistan — Security

• Pakistan border About 200 Nato oil tankers and supply containers were stranded at the Torkham border on Sunday after being rejected clearance to proceed. Security forces also sent NATO trucks and containers back to Peshawar from another check-post near the border. Pakistan will only re-open the supply once public anger over NATO incursions eases and security improves, a Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman said on Sunday.[Dawn] [Reuters]
• Airstrike A NATO airstrike targeting a Taliban meeting in Helmand province killed at least 17 people, including some Taliban commanders and three civilians, Afghan officials said Sunday. [CNN]
• Private security firms The Afghan government has formally banned eight foreign private security firms, including the controversial company formerly called Blackwater, according to a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai. "The focus is on those security companies which are protecting the highways, protecting transport caravans -- those areas other than the training of Afghan security forces or protecting the internal premises of international organisations or embassies, or others," the spokesman said. The eight companies included both Afghan and international firms, and two of them were small outfits employing only about 100 guards. [AFP]