Independence of Tajikistan laid a real foundation for strengthening the public administration, identification of ways of social development in coming years, and building democratic, secular, constitutional and unitary society. 

In one of his first addresses, the Head of State Emomali Rahmon in reference to the political situation in the country stressed the following tasks as a priority agenda of those days: re-establishment of governing structures and ensuring rule of law in all parts of the country, and ensuring the effective activity; re-establishment of law enforcement bodies in all districts and ensuring necessary conditions for fulfillment of their activity; establishment of the National Army; strengthening the state border of the Republic of Tajikistan and entrance of the country into the world community.
The Head of State noted that we were responsible for ensuring national security, establishment of the national army, strengthening the activity of the police and other law enforcement agencies since a State which was not able to defend itself and protect the interests and rights of its citizens had no value.
By consideration of this necessity, the Chairmanship of the Supreme Council and the Government adopted a range of decisions on disarmament of criminal armed groups, strengthening the activity of the Ministry of Interior and the Committee on National Security, defense of the state border, improvement of the economic situation in the country and exerted untiring efforts to implementing these measures.
In a relatively short period in all districts and cities structures of the Committee on National Security and the Ministry of Inte¬rior were reestablished and simultaneously hundreds of patriotic young people were recruited to work in those bodies. Despite the economic difficulties, the Head of State began to establish the national army and took concrete measures for strengthening the southern borders of the country.
The most important historical achievement of Emomali Rahmon recognized widely by the international community was his ability to succeed in termination of the civil war in a shortest period. The officers of the Ministry of Interior and the Committee on National Security had made a great contribution in termination of the internal war. In districts devastated by the civil war, governing bodies and other structures necessary for ensuring peaceful life for people were established which began their activity in a new political and economic situation.
As a result, the people believed, that the Government had become stable and able to ensure stability of society.
For purpose of endurance of independence and defense of territorial integrity of the young state, it was necessary to establish the National Armed Forces and reestablish all military structures. Besides, in order to take measures for stabilization of political and social situation, termination of armed conflicts, crimes and offences, ensuring public order there was an urgent need to establish the National Army. The foundation of the National Armed Forces was built in conditions of absence of necessary technical and financial means, as well as shortage of qualified specialists and command personnel. On 18 December 1992 the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon signed the Decision “On the Establishment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan”. On 23 February 1993 the first military parade of the Armed Forces was conducted and that date was officially declared as the Day of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan.
Despite the difficult economic situation, political leadership of the country has solved in a very short period the issues of provision of the newly established National Army with military equipment and necessary military ammunition. In this regard, first of all, it was very important to fulfill such tasks as establishment of military units, provision of them with military equipment and recruiting personnel, their deployment in strategically important directions and improvement of their fighting efficiency, pro-ceeding from available possibilities.
Later on, under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon the Armed Forces overcame all difficult periods and reached the phase of adaptation of its structures with the real international and regional security. In that period, special attention was attached and hige efforts were made to improvement of fighting efficiency of all military units, professional development of the personnel, observance of law and military discipline, as well as development of skills and expertise of officers and soldiers.
The National Guard of the Republic of Tajikistan is one of the pillars of the National Army and this prestigious structure is a result of independence as well. Establishment and strengthening of the National Guard by the support of the President – the Supreme Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan – is inseparably connected with the period of strengthening the state independence of Tajikistan.
After the historical 16th Session of the Supreme Council of Tajikistan in the ancient city of Khujand one of the first initiatives of the Head of State was the Decree on establishment of the Military Unit No. 3571 within the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Tajikistan signed on 4 December 1992.
In accordance with the Decision of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Tajikistan dated 10 April 1993 the Battalion of Special Task Force (Military Unit No. 3571) of the Department of Internal Forces of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Tajikistan was transformed into the Brigade of Special Mission.
The Brigade of Special Mission from the first days of its functioning went through a serious test and earned the trust of the Head of State and the people of the country.
This was the reason why the President of Tajikistan by his Decree dated 17 January of 1995 has transferred the Brigade of Special Mission into the Presidential Guard. After two years four additional military units of the Presidential Guard have been established in Chkalovsk town of Sughd region, Kalinin of Dushanbe city and Obigarm settlement of Roghun city. The officers and soldiers of the Presidential Guard like the personnel of other military structures had a difficult duty of ensuring public order and security in Tajikistan.
It is worth mentioning, that military personnel of the Guard have gloriously fulfilled this difficult and proud task and today they are honestly serving the country. During the first years of independence of the Republic of Tajikistan the officers and soldiers of the Guard together with personnel of other military structures participated in ensuring rule of law and public order, establishment of the constitution, security and safety, strengthening state independence of Tajikistan, and dozens of them sacrificed their lives while performing their duties.
By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan dated 26 January 2004, the Presidential Guard was transformed into the National Guard. Furthermore, basic tasks and principles of activity, logo and identity symbol, as well as issues of financial and technical provision of the National Guard were determined and new organizational and staff system of the Guard and its military units were approved.
The Decree of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan on the National Guard dated 26 January 2004 and ratification of the Charter of the National Guard has determined the state status of the Guard as an independent military unit directly under the orders of the President and as a symbol of Tajikistan’s independence. From that day, a new phase of professional activity of the personnel of the National Guard has started.
The National Guard is an independent unit of special task, directly under orders of the President – the Supreme Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan, fulfills particularly important state mission.
On 18 November 2006 a new page in the history of indepen¬dent Tajikistan was opened. At the inauguration ceremony of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan that for the first time was conducted with observance of all legal and historical norms, the honorary task of carrying state symbols of Tajikistan was entrusted to the National Guard. This great honor was fulfilled with glory by the command staff and soldiers of the National Guard.
The source of achievements of the National Guard during 15 years and its future success are the results of worthfull service of its personnel, as well as their loyalty to the President, Homeland and glorious people of Tajikistan.
With the view to coordinating joint actions in fight against international terrorism and extremism, as well as to improving military skills and expertise of the personnel both inside the country and beyond, joint military exercises are conducted with relevant military structures of foreign countries.
For the purpose of further strengthening of the state administration the following measures have been taken: dismissal and prosecution of corrupted and unworthy workers in the local and central public administration, courts, customs and other structures who blackened the prestige and reputation of the country; coordination of the activity of the structures of the Ministry of Interior, the Committee on National Security, Minis¬try of Defense and the General Prosecutor’s Office in accordance with the Constitution and recruiting professional staff to those structures. In this context, the activity of the military structures and law enforcement agencies has been significantly strengthened with the aim of protection of all values of the country and fight against crimes, particularly organized crimes.
The intense situation in Afghanistan, especially growth of drug and weapon trafficking, instability on state borders, including illegal border crossing to Tajikistan by criminal armed groups led to establishment of the State Border Defense Committee under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in 1997.
While considering all possible measures on solution of issues related to the activity of the Borderguard Troops of Tajikistan, coordination of its structures in defense and ensuring security in border area was gradually transferred to this military institution. During the years of state independence the state security bodies of the Republic of Tajikistan have been strengthened and improved and they played an important role in the process of peace building, ensuring stability of the state and national security.
With direct participation of the security and police officers, the members of the criminal and terrorist groups, including Rizvon Sodirov, Rahmon Muakkalov and others had been destroyed and large amount of weapons and ammunition had been seized. Those who committed terrorist acts against Y. Ishoqi, M. Ghulomov, M. Osimi, Y. Nikulin, S. Rahimov, “Son Min” missionary center, and other criminal acts in the territory of Dushanbe had been arrested and brought to trial by the judicial authorities.
Officers of the security bodies prevented attempts of three horrible terrorist acts in Khujand city and seized 64 kilograms of explosives from their cars. If it happened such an awful terrorist act could have result in killing and injure of a great number of innocent people and bring serious damage to the economy of Khujand city.
During the joint anti-terrorist operation conducted by the security forces and other national military authorities, members of criminal groups in Tavildara district, a terrorist group led by Alovudin Davlatov (Ali Bedaki) in Rasht valley have been annihilated. The instigators and accomplices of those criminals have been captured and brought to justice by the judicial authorities.
During that period around 20 tons of narcotic drugs, 1200 submachine guns, 540 machine guns, 480 grenade launchers, 980 mines, 4050 grenades, more than one million different-caliber bullets, other ammunition and military hardware, as well as particularly large quantities of explosives have been seized.
By the initiative of the security authorities more than 1500 citizens of Tajikistan were returned to the country from educational institutions of foreign countries.
Over the independence, certain changes and improvement were conducted in the system of the Ministry of Interior that contribute to prevention and decrease of the level of crimes, better investigation of committed crimes. Those steps helped to accelerate the process of disarmament of criminal groups, as well as normalization of the political and social situation in the country.
Considering the significant threat related to drug-trafficking from the territory of Afghanistan, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in March 2000 has established the Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The system of law enforcement bodies, including the General Prosecutor’s Office, Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office, prosecutor offices in regions, cities and districts crippled by the violations of 1992, had gone through major changes, and in conditions of state independence the mandate and competencies of prosecution bodies had been broadened for the purpose of better ensuring law and order.
Prosecution bodies are one of the major foundations of statehood, and these bodies are, first of all, to protect freedoms and rights of citizens. In accordance with their constitutional mandate, the prosecution bodies have special status among other law enforcement bodies. These bodies monitor thorough observance and implementation of laws. Despite the difficult political and social situation during the first years of independence, the prosecution bodies made great contribution to strengthening rule of law and order, fighting crimes and normalization of the social situation in the country.