Protesters in Khost urge world to unfreeze Afghanistan assets

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Residents of southeastern Khost province on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration and called on the international community to release the frozen money and recognize the current Afghan government.

The protesters, numbering in hundreds, marched in the central square of Khost city, the provincial capital and called on the United States government to lift sanctions on the current Afghan government and to pursue a path of friendship instead of undeclared enmity.

Demonstrators also called on the United Nations and the Human Rights Watch to investigate the crimes committed by US troops and their trained troops in Afghanistan.

One of the protesters, Dawood Bawar, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the money frozen by the international community was not the property of one group but the property of the people and should be released as soon as possible.

The demonstrators demanded that the humanitarian aid pledged at the G20 summit be handed over to Afghanistan as soon as possible to prevent a major catastrophe.

Another protester, Delaro Shah Mottaqi, told Pajhwok Afghan News that if the international community did not want a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, it should release the frozen money.

He added: "The money does not belong to any system or government. The money does not belong to the Islamic Emirate.”

Another protester and civil society activist, Shabirullah Junbish, called on government leaders to restore the country's education system, which had been severely damaged.

"Afghanistan's education system has been severely damaged. We have to work for this education system. If steps are not taken in this regard, God forbid, our future will be bleak," he said.

The protesters issued a statement calling on the provincial authorities to encourage organizations and companies in the field of reconstruction and economic development.

The resolution also called on government officials to adhere to all Islamic principles and provide education for girls in Khost and throughout Afghanistan.

They also demanded that the government resume all stalled development projects and pave the way for the implementation of new ones.

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