Afghanistan Times
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Since their ouster way back in 2001, the Taliban insurgents are like a bear with sore head. None looks to be safe from the anger of the Taliban. Whoever, stands in their way or even remains on the sidelines or away, are gored. They don’t differentiate among foreigners, locals, Muslims, non-Muslims, soldiers or civilians, policemen or travelers, whoever doesn’t stand in their ranks means he stands in the opposite camp. That’s why sometimes they kidnap deminers, and sometimes passengers, sometimes teachers and sometimes health workers. Even kids and women couldn’t escape their insanity. When the nation was sleepless under the atrocities being unleashed by the Taliban, the landscape of this war-ravaged country was further devastated when the ISIS emerged on the scene. This indeed is a double whammy.
A heart-melting picture has emerged on social media that shows a minor Afghan girl imploring for the release of her kidnapped father. “We want our father back” is the slogan of the picture. Last month, as many as 31 members of Hazara minority community were abducted by the ISIS. The provincial council officials said Monday that two dead bodies of the hostages were found in Khak-e-Afghan district. The kidnappers released a video on Tuesday where they have threatened to kill all the abductees if the Afghan government doesn’t meet their demands. The video is dated to be filmed on March 29. The Afghan government has not commented over the authenticity of the video.
The video has been released by the militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan with a warning to the Afghan government. In the video the militants don’t specifically talk of their demands, however a week ago they had asked the government to release their fighters and they will set those kidnapped free. The government looks floundering as it neither opted for taking diplomacy nor it initiated a stern war on the kidnappers. Two of the kidnapped ones have been killed and the fate of the rest ones remains to be the same if the government doesn’t come into movement. Dealing with such cases usually is complex and tiresome task that requires astuteness and expertise, because civilians are a soft target. If militants keep civilians kidnapping, it’s beyond the capacity of the government to protect millions of civilians. But yes, what it should have done is to have initiated talks with the militants. Unfortunately, it didn’t even take it seriously and the result is the loss of two precious human lives. Will the government come into movement particularly after the emergence of the picture of the minor girl on social media where she screams and implore for the release of her father. Even the ISIS took two Japanese hostages in Jordan in mid January. Japan turned to Amman when the video of the two Japanese emerged where the militants had threatened to kill the Japanese if their government didn’t pay a $200 million ransom. Even secret talks were initiated in Jordan in the presence of a Japanese envoy to secure the release of the two Japanese. Though the talks failed the hostages were killed. Nonetheless, here no efforts are in sight? Why Kabul has not made its mind yet as it is the matter of 29 lives after all as the militants have already killed two of the 31.
