Zabol Provincial Council Elections

QALAT (Pajhwok): Members of the provincial council and residents of southern Zabul province say the council has been successful in timely resolving people’s problems as a result of increasing its coordination with provincial departments.
The council has performed well during the last one year and been able to develop close relations with residents, within the body and with government entities.

QALAT (Pajhwok): Ghazni residents on Saturday set free 14 persons they had abducted from southern Zabul province following mediation of elders, a public representative said.
The abductees, hailing from Khak-i-Afghan district of Zabul, were kidnapped by some people of Jaghori district of Ghazni last week to avenge the abduction of 30 people from their area last year.

QALAT (Pajhwok): Passengers and residents of southern Zabul province on Tuesday urged the reconstruction of the Kandahar-Kabul highway, saying most of deadly traffic accidents resulted the lousy condition of the road.
Roadside bombings, natural disasters and heavy trucks had extensively damaged the road, which witnesses accidents with a disturbing frequency. Passengers believe the highway’s reconstruction would help reduce such mishaps.

QALAT (Pajhwok): At least 44 people were wounded when a suicide bomber ploughed his car into the provincial council office of southern Zabul province on Monday morning, an official said.
The incident took place in front of the provincial council office in Qalat City, the provincial capital around 11:15 am.
Zabul acting Governor Massoud Bakhtawar confirmed the incident and told Pajhwok Afghan News it was a truck suicide attack.
According to his information, a number of people, mostly civilians, were wounded in the incident.

QALAT (Pajhwok): Nineteen of 31 passengers who were kidnapped by masked gunmen in late February in southern Zabul province were Monday released by their captors, a public representative said.
Atta Jan Haq Bayan, the provincial council head, told Pajhwok Afghan News the passengers were set free this morning, ending a two-month ordeal.
He said the 19 passengers were released in Jaghori district of southern Ghazni province.
The Taliban have not yet commented on the issue. Bayan said efforts were underway to secure release of the remaining passengers.

QALAT (Pajhwok): Two of the 31 abducted passengers in southern Zabul province have lost their lives in captivity, provincial council head said on Monday.
The men were kidnapped from passenger buses and kidnapped at gunpoint on Feb 23 on the road between Kabul and western Herat province in the Shahjoy district of southern Zabul province.

QALAT (Pajhwok): At least 60 militants were killed or wounded in the search operations launched for the recovery of kidnapped passengers on Tuesday in southern Zabul province, an official said.
Police Chief Ghulam Sakhi Rogh Lewanai told Pajhwok Afghan News the offensive began at around 3: 00 am in the Khakh-i-Afghan district. Special Forces were landed in the area through helicopters and now engaged in fierce fire fight with insurgents.

QALAT (Pajhwok): Members of the provincial council of southern Zabul province on Saturday urged the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) to introduce reforms to the provincial administration.
They made the call at a meeting with IDLG policy and technical affairs deputy director, Farid Mamondzai, in Qalat, the provincial capital, IDLG spokesman Tawab Ghorzang told Pajhwok Afghan News.

QALAT (Pajhwok): Security officials in southern Zabul province on Monday arrested a provincial council candidate on legal charges, an official said Monday.
Col. Ghulam Sakhi Rogh Lawanai, provincial police chief, confirmed arresting Mohammad Yaqoob, citing legal charges.
Pajhwok Afghan News could not contact Yaqoob or his family members to know the real picture of his detention, despite repeated attempts.
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