(ATN news): Footage from the protest shows a group of protesters holding the Taliban flag among thousands of Islamist marchers. The presence of pro-Taliban men in a civil protest, however, has sparked reactions in Afghanistan; the Taliban militant group has been fighting the Afghan government for over 18 years, rejecting all government calls for a civil way to compete for power. “What they should be doing through a civilized platform, they (the Taliban) are doing by the power of weapons and bloodshed in Afghanistan,” said Fazl Karim Aimaq, a member of the Internal Security Committee in Afghan Parliament. Moreover, Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Geran Hewad reacted to the presence of pro-Taliban protesters by saying “Pakistan has already been accused in the US State Department Country Reports on Terrorism of not taking required measures to ban the commute of militants from Afghanistan through its borders.” However, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazal–ur–Rehman describes the presence of pro-Taliban protesters as normal. “What is wrong with it? Aren’t the Taliban welcomed in Pakistan? On the international level, aren’t they welcomed by the United States and Russia? What is wrong if some Afghans have come here and raised their flags”, said Maulana Fazal-ur-Rahman. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) led by Fazal-ur-Rahman is protesting against the government in Islamabad and has warned of ‘dire consequences’ if it does not step down. Maulana is known for his links and unwavering support to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban in the past.