Afghanistan Times
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Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: Residents of eastern zone on Sunday urged the government to improve law and order situation in Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar and Laghman provinces.
Around 500 tribal elders, civil society activists, religious scholars and lawmakers from the four eastern provinces gathered in a hotel here to convey their grievances to the government.
They asked the government to ramp up security so the residents of the four provinces could live and work freely.
They called presence of Daesh in their provinces main threat to the security, and urged President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah to address the deteriorating security situation.
They accused Pakistan and some international actors of fuelling insurgency in the provinces. They asked the government to prevent the Taliban and Daesh from subversive activities. The elders said that Pakistan was supporting Daesh and the Taliban to pressurize Afghanistan and secure its goals.
They also asked for uplift projects such as clinics and schools.
Haji Abdul Saboor, a tribal elder from Nuristan, said that 48 countries had provided financial assistance to Afghanistan but people in eastern zone are deprived of clinics and roads. Some of the roads are closed due to insecurity. Many patients die on way to Asadabad due to lack of healthcare facilities in Nuristan.
Inayatur Rahman, another elder form Nuristan, said that his province was secure, but it has become a safe haven for terrorists now and intelligence center of a neighboring country.
Haji Rohullah, a former jihadi commander from Kunar, said that they support the government but the leaders must ensure security in their province.
Shir Zaman, another resident of the province, accused Islamabad of supporting terrorism in Afghanistan. He said that Pakistani military was firing rockets onto Kunar province which claimed lives of tens of innocent civilians while displaced hundreds.
