For Balkh residents, life continued as usual on Tuesday amid the ongoing controversy of the provincial governor Atta Mohammad Noor’s disputed resignation. 

Noor has rejected claims of his alleged resignation. 
 
TOLOnews reporter Sharif Amiri, who is in the provincial capital Mazar-e-Sharif, has meanwhile reported that the political situation has had little effect on the people in the city. 

Amiri reports the residents only want a better future. 

Mohammad Azim is a shoe-maker and is the only breadwinner of his ten member family. He says that it does not make a difference to him who is governor of the province and that all he wants is jobs for the people and a secure future for his children. 
 
“Sometimes I make money and sometimes not. Sometime I remain hungry and sometimes I can feed myself. This is my situation. The government must support us so we can earn a living to feed our children so they can survive,” said Azim. 
 
Zabiullah is another resident of Balkh who was in Mazar-e-Sharif to process documents. He describes the situation as normal in the city. 
 
“All work is moving normally, there is no significant concern among the people,” he said. 
 
Addressing a gathering of his supporters in Balkh province on Monday evening, Noor said he rejects claims of his resignation as governor of the province. He called on his supporters to take civic moves against the decision and to act in accordance with the law.
 
“Your movements for now must be civic and lawful. If the aggression and threats increase against us, then we can use other options,” Noor said.    
 
He added: “I want to announce from here that my dismissal and apparently my resignation is completely rejected, it is not acceptable and we are rejecting it and we will take further decisions, about this, after consulting with Jamiat-e-Islami and the National Coalition for the Salvation of Afghanistan.”
 
Noor Warns Foreigners Against Meddling in Afghanistan’s Affairs 

“They have not finished their responsibilities except for one or two embassies …they have done nothing, so at a time that they have failed to implement their responsibility, my resignation is rejected, I do not accept it, our expectation from our foreign friends is they avoid interfering in Afghanistan’s national and administrative affairs,” added Noor. 
 
Noor also linked his resignation to his negotiations with President Ashraf Ghani about a year ago, and warned foreigners against interfering in the internal affairs of the Afghan people. 
 
Supporters Vow Civil Action in Favor of Noor
 
Noor’s supporters have said that they will resort to civil action in favor of Noor. 
 
“I am ready to give up this rank of general, money and the car, I will be the first person to sacrifice my blood,” said Haseebullah Quraishi, the commander of Public Protection Force in the north. 
 
“Now that they have decided to offer the resignation as a reward, we are ready to stay alongside you (Noor) till the last drop of our blood,” said Abdul Raziq Qaderi, head of the security department of Balkh police headquarters. 
 
“We will use all our civil rights which are part of democracy and the right of every Afghan citizen, but we can decide on other options as well if our civic action does not provide give results,” said Afzal Hadid, head of Balkh provincial council. 
 
Balkh province is one of Afghanistan’s strategic and key provinces in the north. Noor has served as Balkh governor for fourteen years.