Skip to main content
Latest news
Thumbnail

Govt Delegation Sent To Faryab To Ease Tension

Government sent a delegation to northern Faryab province early Thursday in a bid to calm the tension that has gripped the capital Maimana following the arrest of district police commander Nizamuddin Qaisari earlier this week.

Qaisari was arrested by Afghan Commandos on Monday in Faryab after being accused of insulting government.

Immediately after his arrest, Qaisari was flown to Kabul where he is being detained.

Qaisari’s arrest provoked widespread anger in Faryab and on Tuesday, hundreds of angry protesters took to the streets of Maimana to demand his release.

District police commander Nizamuddin Qaisari

By Wednesday, their numbers were in the thousands – with some supporters estimating the crowd to have totaled around 6,000.

At one stage during the protest march, security forces opened fire, which infuriated the crowd. They stormed the governor’s office and set the building on fire.

On Thursday, Mohammad Hanif Rezaye, a spokesman for 209 Shaheen Military Corps, said the delegation had appealed to protestors to end their demonstration.

Rezaye said the delegation arrived in Maimana on Wednesday night and by Thursday afternoon had met with tribal elders, civil society activists and local Ulema members.

He said the delegation includes Abdul Matin Bek, the head of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG); Mohammad Sharif Yaftali, Chief of General Staff Afghan National Army (ANA); General Akhtar Ibrahimi, senior deputy head of the Interior Ministry; and Ebadullah Ebad, the deputy provincial head of National Directorate of Security (NDS).

Rezaye said “the talks between the delegation and tribal elders lasted for hours and finally the elders agreed that if authorities release Qaisari then they will call off the protests.”

He also said that the situation in Maimana had returned to normal after two days of demonstrations and that shops have been reopened.

However, TOLOnews journalist Aref Musavi reports that protests are still ongoing over Qaisari’s arrest in Andkhoy district of Faryab, Sheberghan city in Jawzjan province, Faizabad city in Badakhshan and Taloqan city in Takhar province.

On Thursday, Sultan Mohammad Sanjar, governor of Andkhoy district of Faryab, said that protestors had closed the Andkhoy – Aqina highway to traffic. This highway connects Faryab to the Aqina border crossing with Turkmenistan.

“About 60 people have closed the highway after holding a sit-in protest with tents,” Sanjar said.

In the meantime, Mohammad Sami Khairkhowa, a member of the provincial council said that protestors had gathered outside Junbish-e-Mili party offices in Maimana and that they “are ready to continue their protest”.

“The protest will start in a few hours,” Khairkhowa said at about 10am local time. By mid-afternoon, the protestors were still gathered outside the offices while the government delegation continued talks with provincial stakeholders.

Khairkhowa said that the visiting delegation had warned protestors not to continue their demonstrations and that “if the residents continue their protests then they will be responsible for any negative outcome.”

“The talks are still ongoing between the government delegation and tribal elders," he added.

On Thursday afternoon, Abdul Matin Bek, the head of the IDLG, meanwhile introduced MP Naqibullah Faiq as the new Faryab governor, the provincial governor's spokesman confirmed.

A source said on Thursday afternoon that Faiq was introduced as the new Faryab governor, after Mohammad Humayun Fawzi was dismissed about a month ago following the rise in insecurity in the province.  

Faiq was introduced as the new Faryab governor

The tension in Faryab started brewing on Monday after Qaisari was called to a meeting at the military command in the province and then arrested. Some of his supporters said the meeting had been a trap.

Some reports also claim there was a skirmish between Qaisari’s men and security officials. Qaisari is also a close aide to exiled first vice president Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum.

Officials have said Qaisari’s arrest is part of President Ashraf Ghani’s plan to rein in pro-government militias.

Ghani on Tuesday said he had ordered a crackdown on these militias after having received complaints from soldiers that these groups are contributing to the high casualty toll in the ongoing conflict.

Officials said on Thursday that the Afghan National Army (ANA) had deployed troops into the city in order to bring calm.

Meanwhile Dostum, who is living in exile in Turkey, said in response to Qaisari’s arrest: “I call upon the government to release my representative in Faryab Nizamuddin Qaisari immediately. Otherwise all government programs in the north will face serious challenges, including the upcoming elections”.

Govt Delegation Sent To Faryab To Ease Tension

A delegation has held talks with various stakeholders including tribal elders in a bid to resolve the current crisis.

Thumbnail

Government sent a delegation to northern Faryab province early Thursday in a bid to calm the tension that has gripped the capital Maimana following the arrest of district police commander Nizamuddin Qaisari earlier this week.

Qaisari was arrested by Afghan Commandos on Monday in Faryab after being accused of insulting government.

Immediately after his arrest, Qaisari was flown to Kabul where he is being detained.

Qaisari’s arrest provoked widespread anger in Faryab and on Tuesday, hundreds of angry protesters took to the streets of Maimana to demand his release.

District police commander Nizamuddin Qaisari

By Wednesday, their numbers were in the thousands – with some supporters estimating the crowd to have totaled around 6,000.

At one stage during the protest march, security forces opened fire, which infuriated the crowd. They stormed the governor’s office and set the building on fire.

On Thursday, Mohammad Hanif Rezaye, a spokesman for 209 Shaheen Military Corps, said the delegation had appealed to protestors to end their demonstration.

Rezaye said the delegation arrived in Maimana on Wednesday night and by Thursday afternoon had met with tribal elders, civil society activists and local Ulema members.

He said the delegation includes Abdul Matin Bek, the head of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG); Mohammad Sharif Yaftali, Chief of General Staff Afghan National Army (ANA); General Akhtar Ibrahimi, senior deputy head of the Interior Ministry; and Ebadullah Ebad, the deputy provincial head of National Directorate of Security (NDS).

Rezaye said “the talks between the delegation and tribal elders lasted for hours and finally the elders agreed that if authorities release Qaisari then they will call off the protests.”

He also said that the situation in Maimana had returned to normal after two days of demonstrations and that shops have been reopened.

However, TOLOnews journalist Aref Musavi reports that protests are still ongoing over Qaisari’s arrest in Andkhoy district of Faryab, Sheberghan city in Jawzjan province, Faizabad city in Badakhshan and Taloqan city in Takhar province.

On Thursday, Sultan Mohammad Sanjar, governor of Andkhoy district of Faryab, said that protestors had closed the Andkhoy – Aqina highway to traffic. This highway connects Faryab to the Aqina border crossing with Turkmenistan.

“About 60 people have closed the highway after holding a sit-in protest with tents,” Sanjar said.

In the meantime, Mohammad Sami Khairkhowa, a member of the provincial council said that protestors had gathered outside Junbish-e-Mili party offices in Maimana and that they “are ready to continue their protest”.

“The protest will start in a few hours,” Khairkhowa said at about 10am local time. By mid-afternoon, the protestors were still gathered outside the offices while the government delegation continued talks with provincial stakeholders.

Khairkhowa said that the visiting delegation had warned protestors not to continue their demonstrations and that “if the residents continue their protests then they will be responsible for any negative outcome.”

“The talks are still ongoing between the government delegation and tribal elders," he added.

On Thursday afternoon, Abdul Matin Bek, the head of the IDLG, meanwhile introduced MP Naqibullah Faiq as the new Faryab governor, the provincial governor's spokesman confirmed.

A source said on Thursday afternoon that Faiq was introduced as the new Faryab governor, after Mohammad Humayun Fawzi was dismissed about a month ago following the rise in insecurity in the province.  

Faiq was introduced as the new Faryab governor

The tension in Faryab started brewing on Monday after Qaisari was called to a meeting at the military command in the province and then arrested. Some of his supporters said the meeting had been a trap.

Some reports also claim there was a skirmish between Qaisari’s men and security officials. Qaisari is also a close aide to exiled first vice president Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum.

Officials have said Qaisari’s arrest is part of President Ashraf Ghani’s plan to rein in pro-government militias.

Ghani on Tuesday said he had ordered a crackdown on these militias after having received complaints from soldiers that these groups are contributing to the high casualty toll in the ongoing conflict.

Officials said on Thursday that the Afghan National Army (ANA) had deployed troops into the city in order to bring calm.

Meanwhile Dostum, who is living in exile in Turkey, said in response to Qaisari’s arrest: “I call upon the government to release my representative in Faryab Nizamuddin Qaisari immediately. Otherwise all government programs in the north will face serious challenges, including the upcoming elections”.

Share this post