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Govt Fails To Investigate Zanbaq Square Shooting: Ezedyar

Addressing the one year anniversary ceremony of last year’s shooting at a rally after a deadly truck bombing in Kabul, first deputy speaker of Afghanistan's Upper House of Parliament  Mohammad Alam Ezedyar said that government has failed to properly investigate the incident that claimed the lives of five people. 

In May last year, a truck bomber detonated his explosives at Zanbaq Square, which has since been renamed Salim Ezedyar Square. Over 150 people were killed and 600 more wounded. The explosion took place close to the Presidential Palace and in the heart of the diplomatic zone. 

Mass protests followed in the area but turned violent after security forces opened fire, killing at least five demonstrators. 

Ezedyar’s son Mohammad Salim Ezedyar was among those killed in the police shooting. 

The next day however, three suicide bombers targeted the funeral of Ezedyar’s son and an additional 20 people were killed in back-to-back bombings at the burial ceremony.

Ezedyar has now warned that if government does not act and identify those behind the shooting he will take action and avenge his son’s death. 

Joining Ezedyar, President Ashraf Ghani’s former special representative for reforms and good governance Ahmad Zia Massoud has said that Ghani was to blame for the shooting of the protestors. 
 
Massoud said that Ghani had ordered the police to open fire on the protestors. 

“The head of the National Unity Government is the killer of our youth and he must be brought to justice,” said Massoud. 

But, the Presidential Palace (ARG) has said that if politicians have any evidence about the issue, then they should hand it over to the legal and judicial institutions. 

“They opened fire on a civil movement which was posing no threat to the system and the existence of the system and were just calling for justice; it isn’t worthy to focus on it,” said former vice president Mohammad Younus Qanoni. 

Following the attack, government announced the establishment of a commission to probe the incident, but the victims’ families said that no one has been brought to justice over their involvement in the shooting. 

“Families of the martyrs have two options, either to consult the international legal institutions or take revenge by themselves,” said Ezedyar. 

“We expect the political personalities to show their moral obligation and ethics and submit their evidences to the legal and judicial institutions,” said Ghani’s spokesman Shahhussain Murtazawi.

The killing of protestors sparked strong reactions both among the Afghan people and on an international level. Many countries condemned the police shooting. 

Govt Fails To Investigate Zanbaq Square Shooting: Ezedyar

The bereaved father has warned he will take action if the perpetrators are not brought to justice. 

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Addressing the one year anniversary ceremony of last year’s shooting at a rally after a deadly truck bombing in Kabul, first deputy speaker of Afghanistan's Upper House of Parliament  Mohammad Alam Ezedyar said that government has failed to properly investigate the incident that claimed the lives of five people. 

In May last year, a truck bomber detonated his explosives at Zanbaq Square, which has since been renamed Salim Ezedyar Square. Over 150 people were killed and 600 more wounded. The explosion took place close to the Presidential Palace and in the heart of the diplomatic zone. 

Mass protests followed in the area but turned violent after security forces opened fire, killing at least five demonstrators. 

Ezedyar’s son Mohammad Salim Ezedyar was among those killed in the police shooting. 

The next day however, three suicide bombers targeted the funeral of Ezedyar’s son and an additional 20 people were killed in back-to-back bombings at the burial ceremony.

Ezedyar has now warned that if government does not act and identify those behind the shooting he will take action and avenge his son’s death. 

Joining Ezedyar, President Ashraf Ghani’s former special representative for reforms and good governance Ahmad Zia Massoud has said that Ghani was to blame for the shooting of the protestors. 
 
Massoud said that Ghani had ordered the police to open fire on the protestors. 

“The head of the National Unity Government is the killer of our youth and he must be brought to justice,” said Massoud. 

But, the Presidential Palace (ARG) has said that if politicians have any evidence about the issue, then they should hand it over to the legal and judicial institutions. 

“They opened fire on a civil movement which was posing no threat to the system and the existence of the system and were just calling for justice; it isn’t worthy to focus on it,” said former vice president Mohammad Younus Qanoni. 

Following the attack, government announced the establishment of a commission to probe the incident, but the victims’ families said that no one has been brought to justice over their involvement in the shooting. 

“Families of the martyrs have two options, either to consult the international legal institutions or take revenge by themselves,” said Ezedyar. 

“We expect the political personalities to show their moral obligation and ethics and submit their evidences to the legal and judicial institutions,” said Ghani’s spokesman Shahhussain Murtazawi.

The killing of protestors sparked strong reactions both among the Afghan people and on an international level. Many countries condemned the police shooting. 

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