Feeling a strong sense of dissatisfaction, a coterie of Afghan refugees returned to their homeland to alleviate their anguish beside their family members. The melodic discourse of immature democracy filled the war-weary refugees with great hope. Since they lived aloof from the raucous eruptions and bombings for few years outside Afghanistan, the vestige of war and bloodshed was just removed from their minds. The human rights’ debates, presidential election, freedom, equality, etc. whetted their interest to depart for their own country.  Thus, they left their sojourn with eagerness to breathe a sigh of relief in their own homes.

Perhaps, they took refuge to neighbouring countries either at the time of Taliban regime to survive war and violence or in Post-Taliban time to work for a pittance. In other words, despite resorting to arms to cause social and political turbulence at home, they sought to feed their family via a salubrious manner – if unemployment was the motive behind their peregrination. Their ethical code would reproach them to nurture their families at the cost of murdering their compatriots. They kept innocuous at critical times and considered the propriety of breaking the law a moral heresy.

If they had emigrated from the country at the time of the Taliban regime, it was because they suffered from racial discrimination on a large scale. It is, indeed, too hard to put in words the macabre story of carnage and havoc caused by the Taliban regime. Undoubtedly, the Hazara ethnic group was massacred largely with impunity. The Taliban’s barbarity knew no bounds. With the humanity at its nadir, they butchered the Shia minority without an iota of mercy. Therefore, an inordinate number of Afghan citizens took refuge to foreign countries to survive the danger.

Ill-fatedly, the Afghan nascent democracy is yet unable to meet the citizens’ needs. As a result, in spite of a democratic milieu, insecurity targets the citizens, militancy and suicide bombings are on rise, administrative corruptions and the productions of narcotic drug are at their acme, street crime, armed robberies and kidnapping for ransom continue unabated. Citizens are worried for their safety while walking on streets – especially in insecure parts of the country. The police, the government employees, the taxi drivers, the commuters, the street vendors, the garbage collectors, the school students, etc. are not sure whether they return home safely.

About a month ago, unknown armed masked men abducted at least 31 Hazaras from Shah Joy district of Zabul when the passengers were traveling on the Kabul-Kandahar highway. Despite negotiations between the elders of Zabul and the alleged abductors, the 31 abductees are yet to be released, something many blame on the newly-emerging Islamic State (IS) group.

The abductees are said to be transferred to Khak Afghan district of Zabul where the security forces have killed more than 50 insurgents so far in the operation to rescue the hostages.

Reports says that the travelers and taxi drivers have complained that insecurity has increased since the incident occurred on Kandahar-Kabul highway, decreasing the number of travelers and causing panic among them.

“Since the incident occurred, everyone is frightened and the number of travelers has also decreased,” a driver said, voicing fear about insecurity on the Kabul-Kandahar highway.

On the other hand, the senators on Sunday warned that if the hostages were not rescued, the government would suffer horrible consequences. First Chairman of Senate Mohammad Alam Izadyar warned, “The government needs to take serious actions otherwise consequences will be suffered.”

Zabul elders, however, have urged that the issue should be resolved through dialogues instead of military action, something already proved abortive.

Innocence and victim are mostly juxtaposed in Afghanistan. The puny and innocuous individuals are more susceptible to harms – lurid reports about the victims substantiate this fact.

The distressing story of 31 abductees, who fell prey to sectarianism, will shake a sound conscience. Afghan women underwent great suffering and anguish due to losing their beloved children, spouses, brothers and other family members in historical conflagration, sectarian violence, suicide bombings, etc. What do you think about the tender-hearted mothers whose children are abducted after years of peregrination?

The abductees’ families, especially their mothers, must smolder with burning emotions for this incident. About three days ago, the victims’ families launched a demonstration urging the government to take serious steps in this regard. The demonstrators demurred the civil activists and political elites for keeping silent about the issue. Moreover, thousands of people protested in Ghazni province on Tuesday urging the government to release the abductees.

After all, the Ulema Council has deprecated the incident and called it an anti-Islamic act. The members of Council urged the government to take every possible step for releasing the victims.  

To consider the Afghan Constitution, the state has not accomplished its obligation as it is stated in the preamble as, “…And in order to: Strengthen national unity, safeguard independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country;

Establish an order based on the peoples' will and democracy;

Form a civil society void of oppression, atrocity, discrimination as well as violence, based on rule of law, social justice, protecting integrity and human rights, and attaining peoples' freedoms and fundamental rights;

Strengthen political, social, economic as well as defense institutions;

Attain a prosperous life and sound living environment for all inhabitants of this land;

And, eventually, regain Afghanistan's appropriate place in the international family ….”

Hope, the government will consider its obligation in this regard and seek to provide the citizens equal rights irrespective of their sex, color, race, beliefs, etc.