KABUL (PAN): President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday asked the top NATO commander in Afghanistan to sincerely cooperation with a government team investigating the alleged burning of the Holy Quran by their soldiers.  

Eight people were killed and 27 others injured as nationwide protests over the incident turned violent in several provinces. Six men were killed and a dozen others wounded in the central province of Parwan.

Karzai issued the call for cooperation at a meeting with US Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter and ISAF Commander Gen. Gen. John R. Allen at the Presidential Palace in Kabul.  

He nominated Mohiuddin Baloch, a member of the Afghanistan Ulema Council, as head of the investigating team, a statement from the president’s office said.

On the occasion, Karzai renewed his demand for the transfer of the security responsibility for the Bagram jail to Afghan forces. The switch would help prevent such incident in the future, he hoped.

Gen. Allen once again extended his apologies to the Afghan government and people.   Likewise, Carter also extended his regrets to Karzai over the blasphemous act, the statement concluded.

mm/mud