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IEC announces Ghazni to go to the polls in October
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said Saturday that the delayed parliamentary elections in central Ghazni province will be held in October next year.
Addressing a press conference, Hawa Alam Nuristani, the chairperson of the IEC, stated that the provincial council, municipal, and parliamentary elections will be held in Ghazni simultaneously.
The parliamentary elections were held on October 28, 2018, but elections in Ghazni were canceled due to security issues.
Nuristani meanwhile urged the government to provide the budget and maintain security around the process.
“Operational plans for Ghazni and the provincial council was submitted to the Presidential Palace. The elections are set to be held in Mizan, 1400, Persian Calendar, (October 2021). We have signed the document of the project with UNAMA.
Nuristani said the problems that besieged the 2018 elections will be prevented from recurring during next year’s elections.
The IEC stated that election results would be announced after the first round.
“No changes have been made in Ghazni elections and it will take place as it was planned. The elections will not have a second round, and the election budget will be much lower than the previous elections,” a member of the IEC, Maulana Mohammad Abdullah said.
The IEC stated that elections in Ghazni would cost $19 million while the rest of the elections would cost $80 million.
Habiburrahman Nang, head of the IEC secretariat stated: “$19 million has been allocated for Ghazni and another $80 million for provincial and district council elections, but this budget is not final and changes could be brought. We have the support of our partners, including the government and UNAMA, and our meetings are ongoing.”
Two people have been killed amid protests against a poppy eradication campaign in northeastern Badakhshan province, local officials said.
Authorities said counter-narcotics forces were deployed on Friday to Atan Jalo area of Argo district to destroy poppy fields. Clashes erupted after a number of farmers and residents reportedly attempted to block the operation.
Officials said a child was killed during Friday’s unrest, while another person died on Saturday as protests and tensions continued in the area.
According to local authorities, demonstrators also temporarily blocked the Kishm–Faizabad highway, disrupting traffic for several hours before it was reopened following coordinated efforts by security officials, religious scholars, and community elders.
Officials blamed “drug traffickers and criminal groups” for inciting the unrest and said security forces have since regained control of the area.
A high-ranking Uzbek delegation comprising government officials and private sector representatives from the Republic of Karakalpakstan arrived in Kabul on Saturday to discuss the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan.
The delegation is headed by Amanbay Orinbayev, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the delegation is expected to hold talks with Nooruddin Azizi, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, focusing on strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations.
The ministry said the visiting delegation will also participate in trade connectivity meetings and business-to-business sessions aimed at enhancing commercial cooperation between the two sides.
As part of the visit, the Uzbek delegation is also scheduled to travel to Balkh province, where members will attend additional trade meetings and inaugurate an exhibition showcasing Uzbekistan’s domestic products.
Hamid Karzai, former president of Afghanistan, has expressed concern over recent developments along the Durand Line, saying Pakistan has increased military and economic pressure on villages and residents living near the line.
In a statement, Karzai said the apparent purpose of these pressures is to push residents of Durand Line areas to seek help from Pakistani institutions for resolving security and other local issues.
He added that, amid this situation, some tribal elders from both sides of the Durand Line recently signed documents described as “peace agreements,” which were later officially welcomed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Karzai, these developments amount to an effort by Pakistan to legitimize the Durand Line and represent an action against Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.
The former Afghan president also urged the relevant Afghan authorities to provide the public with a clear explanation regarding the recent agreements and developments along the Durand Line.
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