Balkh protesters pan Biden’s decision on Afghan reserves

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Hundreds of people, including businessmen and moneychangers, have protested US President Joe Biden decision on Afghan assets in northern Balkh province.

The protest was triggered by the US leader’s move to split Da Afghanistan Bank’s frozen reserves for humanitarian purposes and compensation for relatives 9/11 victims.

Allah Dad Bekzad, deputy head of the Balkh Moneychangers Union, characterised the 9/11 attacks as a deal and insisted the Afghans had no role in the terrorist assault.

He called DAB reserves in US banks Afghanistan’s wealth and slammed Biden’s decision as inhuman and against all international norms and principles.

Najibullah, another businessman, said Afghanistan’s reserves did not belong to the government. He explained the assets belonged to the people of Afghanistan and nobody had the right to give the money to anyone else.

He accused the US of failing to make any achievement in Afghanistan over the past two decades. He alleged the Americans, who only killed innocent Afghans, had snatched their wealth.

Another protester, Zabihullah Koh Mardi, argued Biden had no decision-making authority with regard to the use of Afghanistan’s reserves.

The protesters also handed over a letter to the UNAMA office in Mazar-i-Sharif, warning the US of more protests if Biden did not reverse his decision.

nh/mud