KHUJAND, May 6, 2015, Asia-Plus  --  By May 6, Sughd province has fulfilled its spring conscription campaign target, Rafiq Fayziyev, an official with the Sughd military registration and enlistment office, told Asia-Plus in an interview.   

According to him, more than 2,500 young men from Sughd have been drafted into the country’s armed forces during the spring conscription campaign.

We will recall that President Emomali Rahmon signed a decree on drafting young Tajiks into the country’s armed forces from April through May 2015 on March 12.

The draft affects able-bodied male citizens in the age bracket of 18 years old to 27 years old, who are not members of the armed forces reserve.  The same decree provides for the retirement from active duty of soldiers and sergeants whose service under conscription is over.

According to the data from the Ministry of Defense, every year, some 15,000-16,000 young Tajik men are drafted into the country’s armed forces.  The two-month-long effort seeking to enlist young men aged 18-27 for the two-year compulsory military service takes place twice a year, in the spring and in the autumn.

Young Tajiks can avoid or postpone military service if they are ill, studying at university, an only son, or if they have two children.