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| Afghanistan |
| Taliban threatens to kill hostage, wants all Indians to leave Afghanistan |
| 2006-04-29 |
| Taliban militia, holding an Indian engineer hostage in southern Afghanistan, on Saturday evening threatened to kill him if all Indians do not leave the country within 24 hours. The threat has prompted the the government to intensify efforts to secure his early and safe release. Hyderabad-based family of 41-year-old K Suryanarayan, who was abducted on Friday evening on Kandahar-Kabul highway in Hassan Kareiz district of Zabul, appealed the abductors to free him without any harm. His Afghan driver was also abducted. A high-level meeting, chaired by Cabinet Secretary BK Chaturvedi, was held in New Delhi to review the evolving developments. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also being briefed about the situation. A father of three, Suryanarayan had gone to Afghanistan four months ago and was working with a Bahrain-based company 'Al Moayyad' which is engaged in a project for Afghan mobile phone service provider Roshan Telecom. Issuing the threat, a man claiming to be the spokesman for Taliban called up a news agency and claimed that Suryanarayan was an "American spy". "We warn all Indians working here to leave Afghanistan within 24 hours starting 6 pm (7 pm IST) today, otherwise we will kill him," the caller identifying himself as Qari Yousef Ahmadi was quoted saying. Ahmadi releases regular statements on behalf of Taliban. Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said the government was in touch with the Afghan authorities and had intensified efforts to seek early and safe release of the hostage. Saran asserted that India will "continue to fulfil its solemn commitments to Afghanistan's development", pointing out that "our presence in that country is to promote the welfare of the people" of that country. He said Indians, working on various projects in Afghanistan, are making a contribution to the much-needed economic recovery and reconstruction of the friendly country and vast majority of people of that country had welcomed this. India has also contacted the US-led International Security Force deployed in Zabul province where the abduction took place, the Foreign Secretary said. "We are constantly monitoring the situation," he said, adding Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood was in constant touch with Afghan National Security Adviser and other senior officials besides the employers of Suryanarayan and the telecom company whose project is being executed. "We would like to assure Suryanarayan's family that no stone is being left unturned to obtain his release. We share their pain and grief and their anxiety and will continue with our efforts using all the resources at hand," he said. Shocked family members of Suryanarayan, who has two daughters and a son, appealed to the abductors to release him without harm. Suryanarayan's father Chandrashekar urged the government to take immediate steps for his safe release. An official of Afghan mobile phone company Roshan, which had contracted 'Al Moayyad' to help expand its network across the volatile southern provinces, was quoted as saying by a news agency that his firm had no word on the Indian's fate. |
| Posted by:john |
| #2 Not doing Pak's bidding, huh? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-04-29 19:11 |
| #1 Taliban threatens to kill hostage, wants all Indians to leave Afghanistan would you like spicy curry with that? Maybe a few good object lessons for future Islamic kidnappers is needed. If the Indian Special Forces were to disappear the families of the kidnappers and the elders of those villages in the Afghani/Paki tribal areas it would serve as a deterrent. |
| Posted by: RD 2006-04-29 13:55 |