Removal of VP’s posters sparks outrage in Balkh

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (SW): Supporters of the Vice President Abdul Rasheed Dostum and acting governor Balkh Atta Mohammad Noor held separate rallies in the Mazar-i-Sharif City on Tuesday.

This comes days after reports about removal of Dostum’s posters in the city sparked unrest among his supporters.

The VP’s supporters demanded that those responsible for removing the posters should be arrested by the security forces. On the other end, Noor’s loyalists staged the rally to express solidarity with the VP.

On the new year eve, Dostum’s posters were removed from the city’s Kamgar square, a move that sparked the outrage from his supporters. Kanishka Turkistani, a member of Dostum’s Junbish party youth wing, warned on Tuesday if those responsible for removing the posters are not arrested, the protests would continue.

He claimed that some circles surrounding the acting governor deliberately aim to spark the differences. He went on to say that those who removed the VP’s posters had the support of the security forces.

On the other end, Noor’s loyalists argue that elements aiming to disrupt the peace in Balkh province are behind the move. Local officials have promised to arrest those ‘wayward youngsters’ that committed the act.

ENDS