(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Security officials in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of northern Bakh province, on Tuesday assured of having taken tight security measures for Nawroz or new year festivities beginning tomorrow.
The annual festival that marks the start of a new Afghan solar year is traditionally celebrated in Mazar-i-Sharif by tens of thousands of people coming from different parts of the country.
The celebrations kick off with the hoisting of a piece of cloth at the historic site in presence of thousands of people. People from all over Afghanistan and foreign guests attend the hoisting event.
Balkh police chief Brig. Gen. Syed Kamal Sadaat told reporters here that much better security arrangements had been taken this year compared to previous years.
He said public cooperation with police had increased and nobody would be allowed to act irresponsibly.
Roads leading to the Blue Mosque locally called Roza Mubarak, the site of the main celebration, have been closed in order to ensure the attendees move freely in the city, said the police chief.
However despite tight security measures in place, owners of hotels in Mazar-i-Sharif said their costumers were less in number from outside Balkh province for this year€™s Narwoz festivities compared to the past.
Civil society activist Mirwais Darman said political differences between President Ashraf Ghani and governor Atta Mohammad Noor had a negative impact on Balkh€™s overall situation.
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