SLAMABAD, Dec. 27, Reuter: About 1,000 Afghan exiles marched through Islamabad today shouting anti-Soviet slogans and demanding the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, witnesses said.

During the protest, held to mark the seventh anniversary of the Kremlin’s military intervention. some of the demonstrators burned a dummy representing Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

All the seven main rebel groups fighting the communist led government in Kabul were represented.

A march round the Aabpara market area of the Pakistani capital was led by some 200 small boys.

Police banned the protesters, who were all males, from marching on the Soviet Embassy and waiting Pakistani riot squads with shields and batons were not needed.

The banners called for the “Jehad”, or holy war, of the Moslem guerrillas to be continued to victory and one declared, in English, “We do not want political solution”,

This was an apparent reference to indirect talks due to resume in Geneva in six weeks between Pakistan and the Kabul government aimed at ending the eight year old guerrilla conflict in Afghanistan.

About three million refugees have fled the fighting to camps in Pakistan, which is also host to the headquarters of the main guerrilla groups.

Several hundred Afghan refugees were briefly detained in New Delhi today after protest demonstrations marking the anniversary.

Police in the Indian capital told Reuters around 200 Afghans had been arrested and later released, but the Press Trust of India news agency put the figure at 850, including 50 women and about 80 children.

The arrests were made in several parts of the central area of the capital including Raj Path, the avenue leading to the Presidential Palace.

Police had put the entire diplomatic area in South Delhi out of bounds to demonstrators, forcing the Afghans to cancel a planned march on the Soviet Embassy.

No violent incidents were reported during the demonstrations, organized by three Afghan refugee and support groups.

 

Beware of

Anti-Sikh

Rumours

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 2, 1987