After spending 13 years as a Taliban fighters waged a rebellion, Rahimullah is now slowly adjusting to the role of a relatively ordinary police officer in the Afghan capital.
Like the rest of the Taliban, he wrestled with a awkward transition from the rebel fighters to civil patrol officers, as hard lines swore and built a new police.
Kabul residents said street crimes had fallen, with a wider fear rooted in the memory of the Taliban brutal regime in the 1990s, famous for hard punishment such as general stoning, hit and amputation.
“This is not a risky job,” said Rahimullah, who joined the Taliban as a teenager “for Islam and my country”.
The 28-year-old child from the neighboring supervisor province, along with his team consisting of eight people, has the task of managing security in Central Kabul Regency.
His work involves “catching thieves, killers and those who drink wine”, he told AFP, which was allowed to accompany patrols supervised by a more senior Taliban official.
Some of his colleagues seemed unsure about how to navigate their new roles in the city far from their previous lives in rural areas that were far more conservative.
“This is not our favorite job, but it is our responsibility,” recognizing the Taliban commander who oversees the patrol.
Instead of a jacket and trousers previously used by officers, many Taliban troops did the traditional Afghan dress, called Shalwar Kameez.
Some have a new version made of blue-and-black camouflage used in the old Afghanistan uniform.
At one station, in Kabul Regency to 10, the previous police force symbol could still be seen, near the White and Black Taliban banner.
Taliban punishment has been on display in several parts of Afghanistan – last week, the body of four suspected kidnappers was hung from crane in Herat City.
The old police, created by international forces who drove the Taliban in 2001, no longer exists.
It collapsed when the Taliban swept back on August 15, when the former police and civil servants were afraid of revenge and harassment hiding or leaving the country.
The Taliban authorities wanted to keep their promises of strict law and order in the new Afghanistan, where the justice system under US-supported government was disturbed by corruption and inefficiencies.
“There is an ongoing training program, and there will be professionals at all levels,” said Ministry of Home Affairs spokesman Qari Sayed Khosti, who had invited former police personnel to return.
The new power has calculated around 4,000 people in the capital, said a spokesman for the Kabul Police Afez Sirajuddin Omerizes, insisted that the city was far safer than before.
“Under the previous government, there are 300 to 400 crimes reported every day.
Now they totally report about 15 days,” said omeri when he drove a dusty old Toyota Corolla through the city, his car radio played religious songs.
It is impossible to verify the numbers, but the Kabul residents generally agree that robbery and kidnapping, previously rampant, has subsided.
With the war between Afghan security forces that collapsed and the Taliban now ended, bombings – mostly carried out by rebel groups – also declined dramatically.
For new police, it can be a challenge to go from life settled in extreme violence to maintain law and order.
But Yahya Mansoor, 25, served at the checkpoint in Kabul Timur, said he did not miss fighting and wanted to “serve people”.
“Before we serve them by making jihad,” he said.
“Now we rebuild our country.” Porting requirements.
From rebellion to citybeat: Taliban police learn the rope
