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05 October 2004
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Tuesday
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19 Shaban 1425
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Refugees warned against casting votes
By Bashir Ahmad
BANNU, Oct 4: As the polling day for the first direct presidential election of Afghanistan draws near, some elements have intensified campaign to keep refugees away from exercising their right to vote in a bid to sabotage the process.
These elements have pasted posters inside refugee camps in Lakki Marwat district, Bannu and FR Bannu areas, threatening the refugee population with dire consequences if they voted in the polls.
The posters written in Pushto were pasted on walls inside the refugee camps on Friday and Saturday nights by a not-so-well-known group, Khadimeen-i-Islam. It has warned the refugees against taking part in the Afghan presidential elections.
The messages read: "You know that the USA has occupied the Islamic state of Afghanistan. Jews and their allies martyr our children, religious scholars and dishonour our sisters and daughters. They are trying to terminate the Islam and our religious institutions. They have filled jails in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and Shaberghan and Bagram in Afghanistan with our Muslim brothers.
"After the destruction of former USSR, our leaders have again started relations with our enemy that martyred our brothers, orphaned our children and widowed our women.
Our rulers have accepted their servitude. Jihad is a must for every Muslim in this era, otherwise we will be answerable to Allah. Our religion is targeted in this case and survival is our religious right," some posters read.
The poster message also opposed the re-election of Hamid Karzai as president of Afghanistan. It read: Electing Hamid Karzai will strengthen America. It will be a betrayal to the blood of our martyrs.
If Karzai is a Pukhtun, then it is more shameful that despite being a Pukhtun, he accepted the servitude. He is a servant of America that targets our religion, Islamic government and our religious institutions.
"According to Shariat, vote is a testimony. So, we are requesting you not to take part in the election being conducted in Pakistan. Those who would participate in the election would be responsible for the consequences," another poster threatened.
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