Balkh youth seek effective role in new govt

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok):  Scores of young people gathered in Mazar Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, urging the president-elect to give them an effective role in his administration.

Meeting at the Balkh provincial council office, civil society activists and youth called for the incoming head of state to focus on addressing their problems and giving them due representation.

Tamana Faqiri, a female student at Balkh University, told Pajhwok News blamed the outgoing government of President Hamid Karzai for failing to resolve youth’s problems.

Every Afghan expected justice, peace and stability from the new set-up, she said, asking the new president to focus on improving political stability and development of the country.

Ahmed Fawad, a student of the same university, demanded the president give rights to youth, who constituted 60 percent of the population.

He further urged the new government to convince the militants into coming to the negotiating table for peace talks. The Karzai government had failed to pursue peaceful dialogue with the Taliban, he alleged.

Shahla Noori, a member of civil society, claimed there was no rule of law in the country. She believed many problems would be solved if law was implemented. “The president should assure us that we won’t have to worry about the future.”

She lamented young Afghans went to foreign countries to find livelihood opportunities there, creating a brain drain in their homeland. “Our youth turn to terrorism in Pakistan, drug addiction in Iran and moral corruption in Tajikistan.”

She called for the president-elect, who is due to take oath tomorrow, to concentrate on creating job opportunities for the young Afghans.

dai/mud

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