AT-KABUL: The ousted governor of northern Balkh province, Atta Mohammad Noor warned of mass protests across the country if demands not addressed.
“We will organize mass protests at the end of the month if consensus in final talks not reached,” Noor said.
This come as the final round of talks between Jamiat-e-Islami party and the Presidential Palace faced impasse over some key issues.
“We will organize three-day protests on 27, 28 of February and on first of March, our civil movement will be very strong and it will break the hearts of those in the palace, we all will move to Kabul for one day to raise our voices to the world, UN and the international community; on that day, we will get our rights,” said Noor.
He openly called on the public to take part in the demonstrations, citing the government is neglected honoring demands of the people and Jamiat.
Referring to the issue of Taliban insurgency, Noor said that the Taliban earns about $200 million a year from drug smuggling.
“Eighty percent of opium is produced in Afghanistan, what kind of government is this. Based on a US military report, the Taliban gains $200 million annually from drugs, this includes almost 40 percent of the Taliban’s budget,” Noor said.
However, dispute between Noor and President Ghani hooted after removing him (Noor) from governor posts. A couple of months ago, President Ghani approved resignation of Noor with appointing Mohammad Dawood as his successor. But Noor all the time rejected this decision, saying he tendered resignation based on conditions that not fulfilled.