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Highway blocked as renegade Afghan warlord ends silence

KABUL: A major highway linking cities in southeastern Afghanistan was blocked in a protest caused by the reappearance of renegade warlord Padsha Khan after an apparent hibernation, officials said Saturday.

Raaz Mohammad Dalili, the governor of Paktia province, said traffic between his provincial capital Gardez and the neighbouring province of Khost was halted after Khan carjacked a couple of Khost government vehicles.

In retaliation Khost authorities took several vehicles they thought were Khan’s but in fact belonged to his former supporters, who laid down roadblocks in protest.

The problems, which began Wednesday, marked the first confrontation involving Khan since the notorious troublemaker gave up trying to seize his prized city of Khost last October.

Khan was sacked as governor of Paktia after a brief period in office last year. His recent absence from the area had sparked rumours he had thrown in the towel and rejoined the government fold, a move which would be a great relief for Kabul authorities struggling to exert control over regional warlords. —AFP

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