Taliban holds kids to punish tribes
Source: Agencies |
September 4, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
PAKISTANI Taliban yesterday claimed responsibility for holding up to 25 boys hostage as punishment for tribesmen who supported the military in the country's troubled northwest.
Pakistani officials said on Friday militants in Afghanistan kidnapped the boys after they mistakenly crossed the border while on an outing in the border tribal region of Bajaur on Wednesday.
A Pakistani Taliban spokesman said they held the boys, and their fate would be decided by the militants from Bajaur.
"We have kidnapped them as their parents and tribal elders are helping the government and are fighting against us," spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said from an undisclosed location.
He said they held between 20 to 25 boys, but did not say where they have been kept. Bajaur's top government administrator, Islam Zeb, said 25 boys were missing.
A group of around 60 boys took part in the outing but about 20 below 10 years old were allowed to return to Pakistan, while up to 40 others between 12 to 14 years old were held, officials said earlier.
Ehsan said they had a plan of mass-scale kidnappings and expected people in large numbers to visit the border region on Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holy festival that was celebrated this week, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Security officials said they learned of the kidnappings when the parents of the children, members of a tribe that inhabits the frontier area, informed them of the abductions on Friday.
A Pakistani cabinet minister said the interior ministry was in contact with Afghan officials on the issue.
"The incident happened on their side and, as per law, it is responsibility of the Afghan government to ensure their safe return to Pakistan," said Shaukat Ullah, federal minister for States and Frontier Regions.
Pakistani officials said on Friday militants in Afghanistan kidnapped the boys after they mistakenly crossed the border while on an outing in the border tribal region of Bajaur on Wednesday.
A Pakistani Taliban spokesman said they held the boys, and their fate would be decided by the militants from Bajaur.
"We have kidnapped them as their parents and tribal elders are helping the government and are fighting against us," spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said from an undisclosed location.
He said they held between 20 to 25 boys, but did not say where they have been kept. Bajaur's top government administrator, Islam Zeb, said 25 boys were missing.
A group of around 60 boys took part in the outing but about 20 below 10 years old were allowed to return to Pakistan, while up to 40 others between 12 to 14 years old were held, officials said earlier.
Ehsan said they had a plan of mass-scale kidnappings and expected people in large numbers to visit the border region on Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holy festival that was celebrated this week, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Security officials said they learned of the kidnappings when the parents of the children, members of a tribe that inhabits the frontier area, informed them of the abductions on Friday.
A Pakistani cabinet minister said the interior ministry was in contact with Afghan officials on the issue.
"The incident happened on their side and, as per law, it is responsibility of the Afghan government to ensure their safe return to Pakistan," said Shaukat Ullah, federal minister for States and Frontier Regions.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
