Kabul police chief back in job despite militant attacks

The Kabul police chief who tendered his resignation after a string of attacks in the city will stay on in the role, officials said today, as Afghanistan struggles to respond to rising militant unrest.
Zahir Zahir had been under pressure due to attacks in the capital targeting foreign guesthouses, embassy vehicles, US troops and a female member of parliament, as NATO ends its 13-war in Afghanistan.
Kabul has been hit by at least nine attacks in the last two weeks, including a South African father and his two teenage children were killed by the Taliban at their home on Saturday.

"Based on the request of high-ranking officials and in order to avoid disruption of security affairs, General Zahir was asked to continue his duties," Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanakzai told AFP.
"His resignation was rejected and he continues his duties as the police chief of Kabul."
Yesterday Stanakzai said that Interior Minister Omar Daudzai had accepted Zahir's resignation, but the decision was reversed this morning.

President Ashraf Ghani reacted to the spate of attacks by describing the Taliban as "a small minority who want to hijack the nation".
"We won't allow that," he vowed.
The NATO force in Afghanistan will change on December 31 from a combat mission to a support role, with troop numbers cut to about 12,500 -- down from a peak of 130,000 in 2010.