Agence France-Presse .

Mazar-I-Sharif, Afghanistan Hundreds of poets, writers and intellectuals protested Saturday against a government decision to fine three journalists for using words from what is considered the wrong language.

About 500 mainly Dari-speaking demonstrators demanded the president, Hamid Karzai, replace his information and culture minister, who ordered the punishment last week, with a suitable 'right person' for the job.

Three Afghan journalists working for government-owned media were fined five days salary for reportedly using Persian words – common in neighbouring Iran – during reporting instead of Pashtu-derived versions.

Pashtu is spoken among Afghanistan's largest ethnic group, the Pashtuns, while Persian, also known as Dari comes second. Both languages are however recognised as official tongues in the war-ravaged country's constitution.

'Using your native language is not a crime. Why should someone be punished for using his native language,' one demonstrator, Najeeb Paikan said in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

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