JALALABAD (SW): Hazrat Ali, head of the local mujahidin council and member parliament from Nangarhar province has threatened the government to launch a parallel anti-militants operation in this eastern province if peace was not ensured soon.
Reports emerging from Nangarhar suggest Hazrat Ali met hundreds of likeminded people on Sunday to discuss ways and means to go ahead with the plan. He claimed latest surge of violence has claimed more than 600 lives and some 270 locals still remain hostage with the militants.
Over the weekend, NATO’s Resolute Support Program lauded Afghan forces role in countering the surge of militancy in this part of the country.
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, Resolute Support’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations said in a message today that the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police forces have again demonstrated their ability to work together as a national security force this time during combat operations in eastern Afghanistan.
Hazrat Ali however believes the government forces are shying away from taking on the militants in the Shinari areas and have focused on Hisarat and Khogyani districts. He vowed to bring the situation to normal within days if the government grants him the permission.
“We give the government a limited time to allow us otherwise we would seal this city for three days and move towards Torkham until peace prevails or the government resigns”, he said.
Participant of this gathering later gathered at the Pashtunistan square and chanted anti-Pakistan and anti-Taliban slogans.
ENDS
