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MPs Urge Govt To Address Protestors’ Demands

Amid growing protests in the north and north-eastern provinces following the arrest of a local commander, some lawmakers in the Afghan parliament – the Wolesi Jirga – on Saturday called on government to address the people’s demands in order to prevent a crisis.

The legislators expressed mixed reaction over the arrest of Nizamuddin Qaisari, the police chief of Qaisar district and a close aide of Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the First Vice President, who is now in exile in Turkey.

“We will give them a tit-for-tat response if people’s legitimate demands are not met and if they continue to insult the nation with their pride,” said Qudratullah Zaki, an MP. 

“No lawmaker can become a lawmaker without being powerful, a minister cannot become a minister without being powerful, a president who is not powerful cannot become a president. Ask the powerful what was his crime?” asked Allah Gul Mujahid, an MP.

Some MPs meanwhile said the demands of the protestors are not legitimate and that Qaisari’s arrest by government forces was acceptable.

“Ask Nizamuddin what he has done. Believe me, he is the one who arrested a man who took his wife to hospital to deliver (a baby) but when he was released after two hours, he found out his wife and baby had died,” claimed Fathullah Qaisari, an MP. 

The protests were launched in Faryab after Qaisari’s arrest and then spread to Takhar and Samangan provinces. On Saturday protestors again demanded the release of Qaisari and for the immediate return of Dostum. 

Protestors in Samangan province meanwhile closed the Independent Election Commission’s (IEC) office on Saturday. They also closed the Kabul-Samangan highway for at least three hours.

Once again they warned that they will boycott the upcoming elections if their demands are not met.

“We closed the election commission’s office. We will carry out civic disobedience if our demands are not addressed,” said Ewaz Beg, one Samangan protestor.

The election commission’s office and the highway were however both reopened after local officials stepped in, the Samangan governor’s spokesman Mohammad Siddiq Azizi said.

Meanwhile, some Takhar residents said life in the province has been affected by the protests for the past 10 days. 

Some shopkeepers in Takhar asked government to find a solution to the problem. They said they have been forced to close their shops for days. 

Abdul Rahman, a shoemaker, 70, said he would make on average 250 AFs every day before the protest but his income has now dropped to only about 50 AFs a day, which he said is not enough to support his eight-member family.

“I cannot earn even 50 AFs. Shopkeepers open their shops but suddenly there is a protest and then they have to close their shops. They pay 20,000 AFs monthly in rent for their shops. They pay taxes to government,” Rahman said.

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Abdul Rahman polishing shoes on a roadside in Takhar province.

However, Takhar protestors warned that they will continue their rallies until Dostum returns and Qaisari is freed.

The protestors have established protest camps in nine locations in Taluqan City, the capital city of Takhar, while many of them have also closed roads to traffic.

MPs Urge Govt To Address Protestors’ Demands

Some MPs voiced their support over the arrest of Nizamuddin Qaisari while others asked government to find a solution to the problem. 

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Amid growing protests in the north and north-eastern provinces following the arrest of a local commander, some lawmakers in the Afghan parliament – the Wolesi Jirga – on Saturday called on government to address the people’s demands in order to prevent a crisis.

The legislators expressed mixed reaction over the arrest of Nizamuddin Qaisari, the police chief of Qaisar district and a close aide of Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the First Vice President, who is now in exile in Turkey.

“We will give them a tit-for-tat response if people’s legitimate demands are not met and if they continue to insult the nation with their pride,” said Qudratullah Zaki, an MP. 

“No lawmaker can become a lawmaker without being powerful, a minister cannot become a minister without being powerful, a president who is not powerful cannot become a president. Ask the powerful what was his crime?” asked Allah Gul Mujahid, an MP.

Some MPs meanwhile said the demands of the protestors are not legitimate and that Qaisari’s arrest by government forces was acceptable.

“Ask Nizamuddin what he has done. Believe me, he is the one who arrested a man who took his wife to hospital to deliver (a baby) but when he was released after two hours, he found out his wife and baby had died,” claimed Fathullah Qaisari, an MP. 

The protests were launched in Faryab after Qaisari’s arrest and then spread to Takhar and Samangan provinces. On Saturday protestors again demanded the release of Qaisari and for the immediate return of Dostum. 

Protestors in Samangan province meanwhile closed the Independent Election Commission’s (IEC) office on Saturday. They also closed the Kabul-Samangan highway for at least three hours.

Once again they warned that they will boycott the upcoming elections if their demands are not met.

“We closed the election commission’s office. We will carry out civic disobedience if our demands are not addressed,” said Ewaz Beg, one Samangan protestor.

The election commission’s office and the highway were however both reopened after local officials stepped in, the Samangan governor’s spokesman Mohammad Siddiq Azizi said.

Meanwhile, some Takhar residents said life in the province has been affected by the protests for the past 10 days. 

Some shopkeepers in Takhar asked government to find a solution to the problem. They said they have been forced to close their shops for days. 

Abdul Rahman, a shoemaker, 70, said he would make on average 250 AFs every day before the protest but his income has now dropped to only about 50 AFs a day, which he said is not enough to support his eight-member family.

“I cannot earn even 50 AFs. Shopkeepers open their shops but suddenly there is a protest and then they have to close their shops. They pay 20,000 AFs monthly in rent for their shops. They pay taxes to government,” Rahman said.

TOLOnews

Abdul Rahman polishing shoes on a roadside in Takhar province.

However, Takhar protestors warned that they will continue their rallies until Dostum returns and Qaisari is freed.

The protestors have established protest camps in nine locations in Taluqan City, the capital city of Takhar, while many of them have also closed roads to traffic.

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