KABUL (SW): Thousands of protestors took to the street in capital Kabul on Monday urging the government to route the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TUTAP) power transmission project via the central Bamiyan province.
Large and prolonged demonstrations were expected in the heart of the city but the police blocked roads leading to the Arg (Presidential Palace). Protestors marching from the Pul-i-Sokhta area gathered at the Deh Mazang area and chanting slogans for equality. The participants charged the government for not being fair to all the ethnic groups and instead fueling differences.
They vowed to stay on course till the government approves their demands.
Ghulam Ali, a participants, told Salam Watandar that he does not care about the route be it via the Salang Pass or the Bamiyan but what bothers him is the government’s ‘discriminative’ approach.
Addressing the participants, Karim Khalili, the deputy head of the High Peace Council said that the government should discard the plans approved by the council of ministers suggesting to route TUTAP via the Salang Pass. He also lamented the commission formed by the government to settle differences over the matter and stressed that the project should be routed via Bamiyan and onwards to Kandahar and then Pakistan.
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