The dilemma of 31 missing passengers in Zabul
After 50 days, the fate of 31 abducted Hazara passengers in Zabul, who were kidnapped on Kandahar-Kabul highway, their fate and the demands of kidnappers are still unknown.
Afghan government claims that its launched military operation in Zabul province has killed nearly 100 foreign militants in Khak-e-Jabbar district of this province, but the fate of the abductees are still unknown. The question that who are behind this abduction or what the purpose of the abduction is are also still unknown.
Military operation in Zabul:
After the kidnapping of 31 passengers, Afghan military officials has claimed that its launched military operation against Islamic State (DAESH), which is led by Mullah Abdullah “Haqmal” in Zabul province, and also claimed that Mullah Abdullah might be among the detainees by Afghan military forces or might be killed or injured; but Mullah Abdullah Haqmal on 9th March in a telephonic interview with Radio Tehran has rejected the claims made by Afghan officials. He rejected the claims of Afghan government about his relations with Islamic State and called this as propaganda. He said IS might be operating in Zabul, but he is still a commander of Taliban in this province.
According to Haqmal, Taliban have not any role in this particular kidnapping and also rejected the claims made by Afghan government that he is wounded. Mullah Abdullah emphasizes on the continuation of their war against foreign troops under the leadership of Mullah Omar.
His explanations shows that the military operation in Khak-e-Jabbar district of Zabul province claimed by Afghan security forces has not any damages for the kidnappers otherwise they might start killing the abductees.
Another false claim:
Soon After, the name of another Taliban Commander Mansoor Dadullah who is not part of the war, but now came to media as the one who leads Islamic State in Afghanistan.
But Mansoor Dadullah also denied this claim in a telephonic conversation with Pashto service of Tehran radio. He added that he is not the leader of Islamic State in Afghanistan and called this information being spread as propaganda of American and pro-American media. “I will never leave Taliban Tahreek (movement) and will die as a Talib” he said.
Mansoor Dadullah added that Islamic State or DAESH does not exist in any part of Afghanistan, because all of us are fighting against foreign troops under the leadership of Mullah Mohammad Omar and will not join any peace process.
Mullah Mansoor Dadaullah is Taliban`s prominent commander Mullah Dadullah’s older brother who is dismissed by Mullah Omar from commandership of Taliban in Helmand, following his meeting with Mikel Sempple, and later on detained and imprisoned in Pakistan. He was released last year after spent 5 years in jail.
Mansoor Dadullah on the question that why he left Pakistan said that ISI or the military Intelligence of Pakistan had such demands from me that were against the national interests of my country, based upon this reason I left Pakistan and came to Afghanistan to fight foreign troops side-by-side of my fellow fighters.
Where is Islamic State or DAESH?
Taliban hosted some foreign fighters during their Emirate rule in Afghanistan, who after the fall of the regime sheltered in Tribal areas across the Durand line, especially in Waziristan.
In 2006, a war out broke between Pakistani Taliban under the leadership of Hafez Gul Bahadur and Mullah Nazir resided in North Waziristan and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, where Mullah Omar ordered to Baitullah Mehsud to shelter the Uzbek fighters for short period of time. Later on, most of these fighters moved to Dai-Choopan and Khak-e-Afghan districts of Zabul province along with their families, but the decision of Taliban that they left the international Jihad made them hopeless.
Taliban brought some changes in their plans, among which is their decision to leave Jihadi programs outside Afghanistan; they proved this in reality and limited their war to Afghanistan.
When Abu Baker Baghdadi announced Islamic State and claimed himself as Khalifa, it was obvious that whoever join the Islamic State will be this group who want to move the war beyond the Afghan borders, and today the same group has joined the Islamic State.
The existence of Islamic State in different parts of Afghanistan is extremely propagated, especially prior to president Ghani’s participation in Munich conference in which the important issue was existence of Islamic State in the world. Rumors of the existence of Islamic State in Afghanistan could draw attentions to assistances from the world community to Afghanistan.
On the other hand, Islamic State group made their first stage by electing Hafiz Saeed as their Ameer and Mullah Abdurraof Khadem as the assistant of their Ameer. Mullah Abduraof became under pressure from Taliban in Helmand province, but he was soon killed in an American drone attack in Kajaki district of Helmand.
The uncertainty and concerns:
Recently Haji Mohammad Mohaqeq the first deputy of Executive Chief Officer of National Unity Government told international media that the 31 passengers are kidnapped by Islamic State under the leadership of Mansoor Dadullah and Mullah Abdullah Haqmal. Mohaqeq is one of the important faces within the government and he might have received this kind of information from the military institutions of the government, and in case, this information is true then the security institutions does not have accurate information which further increases uncertainties.
The other dilemma that media early reported was the information about contacts from local elders with the kidnappers. If it is true then the kidnappers have some demands. The state of these demands can show who the kidnappers are, but Afghan government does not say anything about the kidnappers which increases the concerns of the families of the abductees.
Where are the abductees?
This is a significant question for which no one has an answer including the Taliban. Taliban in a statement has denied their role in abduction of the passengers and said that they don’t have information about where they are.
If the claim of Taliban is true, than the dilemma can become more complicate. Hiding 31 abductees in the regions under the control of Taliban is not that much easy especially when the hostages have been transferred in smaller groups, the hiding becomes more difficult. Taliban do not neglect the presence of strange people in the areas of their control for preventing the influence of government spies.
The other possibility is that the abductees are being kept in some mountainous areas in Zabul by the group who joined Islamic State. There are also the rumors that number of kids and women from members of the Islamic State affiliated group families were captured during their travel in the north regions of the country and the group in return abducted 31 passengers for their release, but the government wants to hide this issue.
The End