PAN, May 24, 2012

Badakhshan students protest against ISAF

By Gul Mohammad Tanha

PAN, May 24, 2012: Students staged a protest against foreign forces for detaining their schoolmates and teachers in northeastern Badakhashn province. (Photo: PAN)

Students staged a protest against foreign forces for detaining their schoolmates and teachers in northeastern Badakhashn province on Thursday.

Two university lecturers, two schoolteachers and as many studetns were detained during a joint operation by Afghan and Internatioal Security Assistance Force (ISAF) personnel in the Gul Dara area on the outskirts of Faizabad, the provincial captial.

Deputy police chief, Col. Sakhidad Haidari, told Pajhwok Afghan News a laptop and three mobile phone sets were recovered from the detainees, but the reason for their arrest was yet to be known.

Hundreds of Badakhshan Universtiy students blocked city roads and gathered in front of the governor’s office at around 11:30am, but police fired into the air to pisperse them.

The teaches and students were innocent and did nothing agaisnt the government, said one of the protestors, Fakhruddin Qarizada, who demanded they should be released immidiately.

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