Antigovernment protest brings Afghan capital to a halt

KABUL — Tens of thousands of Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazaras marched on Monday through downtown Kabul, demanding the government reroute a planned power line through their poverty-stricken province so they can get more access to electricity.

The rally passed without major incidents, but the protest underscored the political crisis facing Afghanistan as Ghani becomes increasingly isolated amid a stalled economy, rising unemployment and an escalating Taliban insurgency, now in its 15th year.



Since taking office in 2014, Ghani has made little progress in keeping promises to bring peace and prosperity to the country.

Daud Naji, a protest leader, said the Hazaras were demanding access to a planned multimillion-dollar regional electricity line.