Faryab protestors shut most of govt departments

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): Local people and supporters of Junbish-i-Islami party on Wednesday shut most of government departments in the capital of northern Faryab province in protest against the appointment a new provincial governor.

Atta Mohammad Faizi, head of Junbish-i-Islami party in Faryab, said that they had closed the revenue, labor and social affairs, public works departments and municipality since Tuesday.

He said that the government did not allow HashmatullahArman, a lawmaker from Faryab and KanashkaTurkistani, a member of Junbish-i-Islami party to fly to Maimana city, the provincial capital, from Kabul, and that was the reason they closed all government organs after their demand was ignored.

This situation would continue until the new governor introduced to Faryab returned to Kabul, he said.

On the other hand, Qari Mohammad ShafiKalani, who introduced himself as a representative of JamiatIslami party, said that he also joined the protest in Faryab after he was directed by the party leader, SalahuddinRabbani, to do so for solidarity with Faryab people.

He said that their struggle would continue until the central government upheld ‘promises’ made in agreement with Stability and Convergence, a political team led by Abdullah Abdullah in 2019 presidential election.

Firoz Ozbek, chancellor of Faryab University, told Pajhwok Afghan News that they had planned biometric registration of school graduates who had applied for night shift studies in the university today, but the process was delayed after Kam Air flight cancelled to the province.

However, Mohammad Daud, new governor of Faryab in an interview with Pajhwok said that protests were the right of all people and he respected the views of locals, particularly Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum as an elder of the country about his appointment.

The protests would be soon calmed down and the situation would return to normal, he added.

About the closure of government departments by protests, he said that there were options to reopen them but he did not want to confront the demonstrators.

Daud said that he would stay on his position as long as the central government directed him to continue his service as governor of Faryab.

mds/ma