Several hundred people gathered outside the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul on Tuesday to protest against what they see as Islamabad’s meddling in Afghan affairs. The rally was dispersed by Taliban fighters, who fired shots in the air.
Men and women who reject the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban marched through the streets of the capital, chanting “Death to Pakistan” and “Long live the resistance.”
Protest in Kabul – with around 1,000 men and women gathered. Chanting slogans against Pakistan, alleging they supported the Taliban in Panjshir… many mentioning the ISI chiefs visit… some also demanding women’s rights. Taliban fighters present too. pic.twitter.com/iOxDsyDpeR
— Secunder Kermani (@SecKermani) September 7, 2021
The rally took place in the wake of a visit by Islamabad’s intelligence chief Faiz Hameed to Kabul over the weekend, and media reports that the Pakistani Air Force helped the Taliban take on the resistance forces in Panjshir Province.
Some protesters have claimed that the Taliban is going to become Islamabad’s “puppet government” despite Pakistani authorities continually denying supporting the radical group.
Other demands voiced by the crowd included democracy, freedom of speech, and respect for women’s rights.
Taliban fighters followed the procession in SUVs and initially didn’t hamper the rally in any way.
According to witnesses, however, they later fired shots into the air, making the protesters disperse. Videos from the scene show people fleeing, with shots heard in the background.
Opponents of the Taliban have staged several rallies since the group came to power in Afghanistan in mid-August following a swift offensive that coincided with the withdrawal of the US troops from the country. The protests in Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-i-Sharif were mainly attended by women, who fear a similar clampdown on their freedoms to that seen under the Taliban’s previous rule between 1996 and 2001.
On Monday, the Taliban announced that the war in Afghanistan had ended, as the last hideouts of the resistance forces in the Panjshir Valley have been captured. But the National Resistance Front in Afghanistan (NRF) denies those claims, insisting instead that the fighting continues in the area. A few hours after that, NRF leader Ahmad Massoud called upon Afghans to start a “general uprising” against the Taliban.
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