World should unfreeze Afghan assets: Laghman disables

MEHTARLAM (Pajhwok): People with disabilities in eastern Laghman province on Sunday staged a protest rally in Mehtarlam, the provincial capital, calling on the international community to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets.

The protestors also called on the Taliban to give them the same rights as the previous government, and called on charities and aid agencies operating in the country to reach out to people with disabilities.

The protesters, numbering about 300, marched in many parts of ​​Mehtarlam city today.

Raees Khan Kohistani, head of Laghman Disabled People’s Union, said the protest was aimed at securing the rights of the community.

He added that the international community should release the frozen money of Afghanistan and recognize the new Afghan administration.

“The current government is inclusive, with people from every province, every ethnic group, every language and every region”, he said.

Ali Akbar Haidari, another protester and deputy head of Laghman Disabled People’s Union, said the international community should work together to solve the problems of Afghans.

“The aim of our protest is that we want the frozen money released, because the money is also the right of Afghan widows and orphans,” he said.

Many other disabled people, who participated the protest, also made similar comments, calling on the international community to release Afghan money and recognize the government.

People in other parts of the country also protested in the recent past and asked for the release of Afghanistan assets, but so far no action has been taken to unblock the frozen assets.

After the fall of the previous government, the United States has frozen about $10 billion in Afghan capital.

mds/ma

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