KABUL (SW): The Ministry of Interior has imposed a ten-day ban on any demonstrations following the twin blasts, which ripped through ‘Junbeshe-e-Roshnayee’ (Enlightenment Movement) protestors killing at least 81 people.
While commenting on the recently imposed ban, a number of civil society activists said that staging peaceful demonstrations are one of the fundamental rights of the citizens, and the government can not deny such rights.
Zia Mubaliqh, a civil society activist, told Salam Watandar that the government can only prevent the demonstrations in case of an imposed emergency, and it is only the President who can issue such decree.
He said that the Ministry of Interior and police have no authority to stop democratic demonstrations.
He added that the government, by using such measures seek to cover its failure to provide security to the citizens.
Meanwhile, Shahla Farid, a university lecturer at the Kabul University, said that such moves by the Ministry of Interior are utterly unconstitutional. She said that the government can only ban demonstrations under the state of emergency. She warned that if the government forcefully stopped peaceful demonstrations, the citizens would find other means and would resort to violence.
ENDS
