DUSHANBE, April 7, Asia-Plus  -- Social-Democrats have decided to abandon their intention to hold a rally in Khorog.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Shokirjon Hakimov, the deputy leader of the Social-Democratic Party (SDPT), said that such a decision was taken at a meeting of the SDPT board that was held in Dushanbe today morning. 

The meeting focused on the rally planned for April 8, according to him.  “Taking into consideration behavior of the law enforcement agencies and some media, especially the state-run ones, which are interested in deteriorating the socio-political situation in the country and lack of guarantees of safety of the rally organizers, we have decided to abandon   the intention to hold the rally in Khorog,” Hakimov said.   

However, the party’s organization in Gorno Badakhshan is to continue seeking an official permission for holding the rally, the deputy leader stressed. 

We will recall that the SDPT regional organization for Gorno Badakhshan on March 13 announced its intention to hold a rally in Khorog on April 8, noting that they intend to raise issues related to validity of resolution of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) of 2002 on ceding 96,000 hectares of Pamir Mountain range to China, recent resolution of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) on redistricting six villages in GBAO’s Darvoz district into the Tavildara district, which is subordinate to the center, as well as local police’s tough treatment of the population.