Stone-throwing supporters of an Afghan regional leader have prevented a new governor appointed by President Hamid Karzai from taking office in a northern province, residents said yesterday. In the latest challenge to Karzaiâs efforts to expand his influence in the restive provinces, dozens of people hurled rocks at the convoy of the new governor of Sari Pul, Abdul Haq Shafaq, when he arrived on Friday to take up his position. Despite the protection of 100 armed policemen sent from Kabul, Shafaq was forced to return to Mazar-e-Sharif, the key city in northern Afghanistan, when one of his escort was wounded, witnesses and police said. The stone-throwers were mostly supporters of Abdul Rashid Dostum, they said. The crowd was protesting against Shafaq being appointed in place of Taj Mohammad Kohi, an ally of Dostum.
Dostum denied any link with the protest, which he described as a spontaneous show of support. âWhat is going on is the anger of people toward Kabul,â he said. Mazar-e-Sharifâs police chief, Akram Khakreezwal, said Shafaq had been advised to stay in Mazar-e-Sharif with his escort and wait for orders from Kabul. |