KABUL - A senior official from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Nicholas Haysom, met today with an Afghan parliamentarian, Baktash Siawash, to receive a petition protesting the firing of rockets from Pakistan into the country’s eastern province of Kunar.

Received at UNAMA offices in Kabul, the petition – a 10-metre-long sheet – was signed by hundreds of people, mainly by youth and students based in the capital city.

“We appreciate the fact that young Afghans from all walks of life are considering the future of their country,” said Mr. Haysom, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan.

“The UN in Afghanistan has raised this issue on many occasions with the Security Council and the UN Secretariat as a source of concern to the people of Afghanistan, and we will continue to do so to the extent possible,” he added.

In the meeting, Mr. Siawash said, “When we lose our people and they are firing rockets, it is not fair to remain quiet because of our friendship with Pakistan. They are our brothers, of course, but we want to solve this issue through legal methods.”