KABUL - Hundreds of thousands of people marched on Monday through Kabul streets, demanding the government’s planned rerouting of the 500kV TUTAP power line through Bamiyan. 
The peaceful protestors gathered in a square away from the city center chanting “TUTAP is our right!”.
TUTAP power line, which would connect the Central Asian countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan with Afghanistan and Pakistan, was initially meant to pass through Bamiyan. Hazara leaders condemned the decision to reroute the project as a sign of the government’s discriminatory policies, and criticized President Ashraf Ghani.
Concerns that the protest could turn violent prompted the police to block off roads leading into the city’s central commercial district. Stacked shipping containers prevented the marchers from reaching the presidential palace but the rally passed peacefully.
Karim Khalili, former Vice-President while speaking to the protesters said that the “people will never keep quiet when facing injustice.” He called on Ghani and chief executive Abdullah Abdullah to change the decision on the power line.
Hazara lawmaker Arif Rahmani said the community wanted the power line to cross through Bamiyan, “which has seen no development in 15 years.” “We are demanding justice, not charity,” Rahmani said.
Daud Naji, a protester, said the Hazaras were demanding access to a planned multimillion-dollar regional electricity line.
Another demonstrator said that the rerouting is evidence of bias against the Hazara minority.
Abdul Malik, 53, a Pashtun from southern Kandahar province, said he joined the protest “to show unity for their rights as in past 15 years very little has been done for Hazaras, and people need electricity in their homes.”
While Addressing the nation later in the evening, President Ghani said that “I strongly appreciate the people who cooperated with us and showed patience during the protest.”
“I praise the security forces for providing security for the demonstration and for foiling plots despite threats,” he said.
The President further added that “government strongly believes in equal development and equal implementation of projects”.
Demonstrators also seen giving flowers to security forces as gratitude for providing security to demonstrators.
The so-called TUTAP line is backed by the Asian Development Bank with the involvement of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.