8 nomads injured in clash with security personnel in Ghazni

GHAZNI (Pajhwok): Security forces shot and injured eight nomads after a physical clash over construction of houses on a government land in Sheikh Abdul Salam area of central​ Ghazni province.

Officials said some nomads wanted to arbitrarily divide government land in the area in Ghazni City and construct houses on it late Monday, but security forces prevented them.

However, the nomads say they have long been living in the area and they wanted to construct houses yesterday, but security personnel prevented them from doing so. The security forces opened fire at the Kuchis, injuring eight, they said.

After the incident, hundreds of nomads laced with stones and sticks blocked the Kabul-Kandahar road for two hours in protest.

They asked the government to arrest and punish security personnel who opened fire and injured the nomads. They also demanded that the arrested nomads should be released.

A representative of the nomads in Qala Jawz area of ​​Ghazni city and tribal influential Nazar told Pajhwok Afghan News that nomads have been living here since long and now they wanted to construct houses for themselves, but security forces prevented them.

He added: “Islamic Emirate personnel came yesterday and demolished our houses, we had a conflict with them and they opened fire, seriously injuring eight people, most of them were hit in their heads who are now hospitalized”.

After the incident, hundreds of nomads blocked the Kabul-Kandahar road in protest until the governor of Ghazni intervened and asked the protesting nomads to open the road as their problem would be resolved.

Noor Jamal, another nomad, said the governor promised that the perpetrators of yesterday’s incident would be arrested and the arrested nomads would be released and their problem resolved in a day or two, but he warned if the problem was not addressed on time, they will resume their protest.

He said the nomads have long been claiming ownership of the land. He said the government had not only failed in giving them their right, but also misbehaved with nomads from time to time.

“The forces of the Islamic Emirate came to our area yesterday and forcibly expelled people from their homes, when the people did not accept the security forces’ order, a physical clash started between the two sides. The security forces started hitting the nomads with their weapons’ butts and then opened fire.”

Maulvi Mansoor, Information and Culture director, told Pajhwok Afghan News some nomads wanted to arbitrarily divide government land in the area and construct houses, but security forces tried to stop them. He claimed the nomads misbehaved with security forces and forced them to resort to firing.

He confirmed eight nomads were injured in the incident and some people were arrested. A high-ranking delegation of the provincial administration today went to the area to investigate the matter closely according to the law and the results will be revealed later, he added.

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