GARDIZ (Pajhwok): Hundreds of businessmen, civil society activists and provincial council members blocked the Kabul-Gardez Highway in southeastern Paktia province for a second day on Thursday.
The protestors said the highway would remain blocked until the government accepted their demands. They accused Kabul of discriminating against the people of the province, which received little support in terms of reconstruction and security.
Provincial Council Chairman Sardar Mohammad Malangzoy told Pajhwok Afghan News: “We ask the government to bring the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) zonal branch back to Paktia and solve traders’ problems.”
He said some government organs had already promised to resolve their problems. However, he made it clear the highway would stay blocked until relevant departments held out guarantees of meeting their demands.
Haji Mohammad Gardezi, a trader from Paktia, blasted some government organs for treating the Paktia people in a callous manner by constantly dragging their meet on addressing their problems.
He claimed their demands for electricity supply, establishment of industrial parks, and making the Gardez-Dand Patan highway a transit route and had not been not accepted by the government.
Samiullah, a passenger who accompanied his family to Kabul, said they were stopped from traveling on the highway due to protest.
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