Provincial Council Elections

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Ten kidnapped people have been released in the Jaghatu district of southern Ghazni province, an official said on Saturday.
Unidentified gunmen abducted a dozen individuals on last week but two of them managed to escaped from their captors’ custody.
Shafiq Nang, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that local elders played an important role in the release of the 10 individuals.
Provincial council member Hassan Raza Yousafi said: “Ten abducted persons from Hazara community have reached their homes safe and sound.”

Kidnapped last week, 10 individuals freed in Ghazni

Warlords, graft hamper probe into violence against women

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): A large number of Ulama, tribal elders, civil society activists and youth in southeastern Khost province on Wednesday demanded the government leaders to shun their differences and work for building security and peace in the country.
In a gathering organized by the Hiwadpal Zwak Social Network (HZSN), the participants expressed deep grief over loss of precious lives in suicide attacks that jolted capital Kabul some days back.

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): Officials in northwestern Faryab province claimed inflicting heavy casualties on rebels and recapturing large areas of the province.
However, provincial council head says hundreds of families have been displaced due to fighting and families are in dire need of aid.
Acting Governor Abdul Sattar Bariz told Pajhwok Afghan News that 147 militants were killed and 150 others wounded during operations in Almar, Qaisar and Pashtoon Kot districts in the past two weeks.

SHIBERGHAN (Pajhwok): Expressing satisfaction with the improved law and order situation in northern Jawzjan province, the provincial council head on Tuesday said the way had been paved for implementation of welfare projects.
Speaking to Pajhwok Afghan News, Maulvi Abdul Hai Hayat said the projects in the past 14 years despite better security have not been implemented in a way people expected.
He said there were no asphalted roads in ten districts and residents grappled with a lot of challenges.

Militants kill 4 abducted engineers in Ghazni

In Badakhshan, defence counsel up against odds

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): Defence counsel in northeastern Badakhshan province complain they cannot properly plead cases of their clients, particularly petitions concerning violence against women, due to threats from warlords and other influential figures.
Subsequently, the attorneys allege, women’s rights continue to be trampled in the backward province. Taking up front on these powerful gunmen is fraught with dangers. Thousands of such cases have been disposed, but not without risk.