Protests entered the eighth day in Faryab province on Saturday as hundreds of people rallied against the appointment of the new governor.
In the latest sign of escalating tensions, protestors on Saturday took to the streets in Maimana city in front of 209 Shaheen Army Corps where a week ago Ashraf Ghani-backed governor Mohammad Daud Laghmani started his job as new governor for the province.
Some of the protesters who had shroud-like outfits warned the army corps commander of severe public outrage if he does not ask the newly appointed governor to leave the province.
“Either our leader or shroud. We are ready to defend our leader until the last drop of our blood. We do not want the governor,” said Rohullah, a protester.
“Ghani wants to impose the evil that exists in his mind about Turks in Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Qasim, a protester.
“He (Ghani) must act based on the people's demand,” said Tahmina Shuja, a protester.
Meanwhile, sources close to the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, or Junbish-e-Milli, led by former vice president Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum said that a number of prominent political leaders including former president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council for Reconciliation, have entered as mediators to break the deadlock between the government and Marshal Dostum.
“Work is underway on the procedures or formation of the commission or the same public council. In the next step, the people of Faryab will conduct election to appoint their governor,” said Enayatullah Babur Farahmand, a top aide to Dostum.
“It is not like he (Dostum) seizes everything. The post of a marshal, share in the cabinet and membership in the senate. What has he done for the country?” said MP Nematullah Karyab.
The tensions erupted in Faryab province when President Ghani appointed Laghmani as new governor for the province.
Prior to Laghmani, Naqibullah Fayeq was serving in the post for three years. He was dismissed from the job last month and was offered to serve as the member of Afghanistan’s Meshrano Jirga—the senate.
Two days back, a member of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan said that Marshal Dostum has recommended Murad Ali Murad, the former deputy chief of army staff, to be appointed as the new governor of Faryab, but the government has reportedly rejected the offer.