JALALABAD (PAN): Two people were killed and six others wounded as policemen opened indiscriminate fire at demonstrators in Paron, capital of the eastern province of Nuristan, officials said on Friday.
Hundreds of residents from three districts protested in front of the regional office of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in Paron against what they called insufficient ballot boxes sent to the remote province.
Dwellers of Do Aab, Mandol and Barg-i-Matal said they had been issued with 22,000 voter cards but the ballot boxes dispatched to the three mountainous districts were hardly sufficient to hold 8,000 votes.
Nuristan Provincial Council member Maulvi Nek Muhammad told Pajhwok Afghan News the incident happened before noon. Ulema Council head Maulvi Abdul Qader, who also participated in the protest, was among the injured, he added.
Maulvi Rehmatullah Rashedi, head of the Provincial Council, said the protestors came under fire from police as soon as they reached the election office. Two of the demonstrators were killed on the spot.
Police official Shamsur Rahim confirmed the incident that came a week ahead of the presidential and provincial council elections. Four of the wounded were in a critical condition, he said without giving further details.
Abdul Malik Sulemanzai, IEC chief in the eastern zone, claimed the demonstrators included the militants who have vowed to disrupt the election process. He alleged the protestors fired at the policemen on duty. The casualties happened in retaliatory fire from the security personnel, according to Sulemanzai.
A participant of the demonstration told Pajhwok they took to the streets after approval from Governor Jamaluddin Badr. Abdur Rehman said the governor had assured them of full security. However, Badr could not be contacted despite hectic efforts by this news agency.
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