Protestors block Kabul-Kandahar highway

GHAZNI CITY/PUL-I-KHUMRI (PAN): Hundreds of people staged anti-government protests on Sunday, blocking busy highways in southern Ghazni and northern Baghlan provinces.

Residents of Andar district, uprising members and Afghan Local Police (ALP) officials staged a protest against the local administration for opposing the new district police chief, Lutfullah Kamran.

Ghazni Governor Musa Khan Akbarzada, police chief Zrawar Zahid and deputy head of Provincial Council Abdul Jamih Jame opposed the appointment of Lutfullah as police chief for Andar, said one of the protesters, Ahmad Khan.

He warned they would keep the highway blocked if the government did not appoint Lutfullah as district police chief.

Separately, about 200 people closed the Baghlan-Kunduz highway against the arrest of a civilian in Pul-i-Khumri, the provincial capital.

Mohammad Hasib, a participant of the protest, said that Baghlan’s provincial police chief had illegally arrested Attaullah — also known as Sharwal. He said they would continue their protest until the detainee was freed.

But Baghlan’s crime branch chief, Col. Noor Gul, said the detainee was involved in several murder cases and harassing the people.

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