RASC News Agency: Abdul Latif Pedram, leader of the National Congress Party, responded to recent events in Badakhshan by stating that if the Taliban suppress protesters in Argo and Drayem, resistance will arise elsewhere as people continue to oppose the Taliban and its ideology. Speaking today, Wednesday, May 8, Pedram emphasized in an interview with a news outlet that establishing control over Badakhshan, a province of two million people, will not be an easy task for the Taliban. He reiterated that even if the Taliban clamp down on Drayem and Argo, resistance will sprout elsewhere.
Pedram added that the people of Badakhshan have revived the legacy of Yaqub ibn Layth al-Saffar after many centuries. Pedram mentioned the protesters’ demand for the expulsion of non-locals who do not speak the local language, stating, “Those who speak languages we do not understand should leave.” The former Badakhshan representative in the previous parliament referenced Yaqub ibn Layth al-Saffar’s response to poets who wrote poems praising him in Arabic: “Why say what I do not understand?”
The National Congress Party leader believes the residents of Badakhshan, as the inheritors of Yaqub ibn Layth al-Saffar’s legacy, have openly revived this sentiment after centuries. The protesters’ primary demands include the expulsion of non-local Taliban members and the prosecution of the murderers of two Badakhshan residents. Pedram, who faced criticism during his tenure in parliament for his calls for justice and pro-Tajik stance, continues to advocate for justice and challenge what he perceives as historical injustices faced by non-Pashtun ethnic groups.
He now believes the demands of Badakhshan protesters have “ushered in a new phase in the people’s fight for justice.” Referring to Wednesday’s explosion in Faizabad, Pedram suggested that the attack may have been orchestrated by the Taliban itself.
