Protestors again block highway

JALALABAD (PAN): Protestors on Sunday again closed the Jalalabad-Torkham highway in eastern Nangarhar province, hours after the busy road was reopened in the morning.

Abdul Zahir Qadir, a member of the Wolesi Jirga and a powerful figure in the east, led angry protestors to block a number of roads across the city, including the highway.

The demonstrators accused Governor Gul Agha Sherzai of grabbing government lands in different areas and misappropriating funds meant for reconstruction projects.

Hundreds of passengers including women and children were stranded in different areas of Jalalabad due to the protest that created several problems for ordinary people.

Earlier in the day, police reopened the roads and residents easily commuted across the provincial capital for several hours, said the deputy police chief, Col. Masoom Khan Hashimi.

In the afternoon, youths and elders took to the roads and closed the highway in the 4^th Farm area of Batikot district. The protestors chanted slogans against the governor and called for his accountability.

The demonstration would continue as long as their demands were not met, said one protestor Hakim Khan, who accused the governor of fuelling insecurity in the province, as well as embezzling millions of afghanis in reconstruction funds.

Col. Hidayat, the district police chief, confirmed the highway’s blockade, saying they had taken measures to ensure the security of protestors.

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