Writer: Khaliq Ebrahimi
Translator: M-Rezaie
14 june 2022
Kidnapping Hazaras on the high ways was one of the highly profitable policies of Taliban before the Kabul fell. Kidnapping Hazaras of Jaghori, Malistan, Nahoor, Jaghato and Qara Bagh has been a useful tactic to put Hazaras under pressure in Ghazni province.
According to the findings of Jade Abresham Weekly Musa Tufan and his colleague were detained by Taliban on Kandahar Highway near Qara Bagh district of Ghzani. Taliban killed both of them after torturing them and left their daed bodies on the street. Musa Tufan and his colleague were from Ghazni and they were going to the city while they were kidnapped by the Taliban group.
Tufan worked as a driver in an international NGO and his companion was a member of the ANA. In the beginning it looked Taliban had killed them due to working with foreigners or being a member of NAN, but when the highway was insecure on Hazara teachers, students, and women, it was clear they were killed for being a member of Hazara community. This tragic incident was just the beginning of continued kidnappings which turned to a highly profitable business for Taliban.
The unpaved roads detached from Kanddahar highway to Hazara areas were not safe for civilians and military personnel . Taliban insecured the routes to Hazara areas in Zabul, Maidan wardak and Ghzani and established checkpoints on them. Hazara passengers used to hide their ethnic and education identities or used fake ones to save their lives though some of them were identified and lost their lives.
According to Jade Abresham Weekly, on 17 July 2015, Taliban kidnapped 7 Hazaras from Ghazni Dessert/dasht. According to media Taliban wanted to exchange their prisoners with these kidnaped people. As the project did not go well, they killed one of the kidnapped people and released the other 6 people.
One month later, Taliban kidnapped 4 Hazaras in Dareh Qaigh which links Jaghato and Nahoor districts to the provincial capital of Ghazni. Taliban killed all of the 4 kidnapped people as the government and did not set free Taliban commanders.
According to “DW” on 14 August 2015, Taliban kidnapped 12 people in Dsshte Qarabagh of Ghzani. They were going to Ghzni from their districts. Ghani governor said these people were kidnapped due to the loss of Kochis cattle but Hazara representatives in the National Assembly said they had been kidnapped by Taliban in order the government to release their prisoners or for ransom taking from Hazaras. The kidnapped people were released by the intervention of the local influential figures.
According to BBC Afghan government decided to establish security checkpoints on the highways on Hazara areas destinations. On December 2015 Afghan government placed 100 police in Dahste Qarabagh. As a result, there was 9 cases of kidnapping during 2015 that 89 people were kidnapped and 22 of them were killed.
The checkpoints on the highways or roads to Hazarajat could not resist more than 2 years and all of them collapsed. All the check points were closed in 2018 and Taliban take all the routes under their control. And while there were chekcpoints on the routes Taliban kidnapped several times the people and stole the properties of them. On December 2017 Taliban kidnapped 10 Hazara passengers and after taking money they were released.
According to Jade Abresham weekly, between 2015-2018, totally kidnapped 32 people from two Hazara areas of Nikhta and Quluch of Qarabagh distirict of Ghazni. Out of 32 people, 12 of them were killed and the remaining were either released by intervention of elders of paying money to Taliban. Mohammad Hassan (fake name), was for 68 days imprisoned by Taliban and told Jade Abreasham Weekly that he was released after paying them 2 million afs.
According to social media activists report on 18 May 2020, Taliban fired on a passenger vehicle in Ghani province and all 5 passengers of the vehicle were burnt in the fire. It was such a brutal act that the social media users termed it as “Unforgiveable crime”. All the 5 passengers were Hazaras going to Ghazni capital city from Qiagh dareh.
Hussain Sirat from 8.am Daily calls the Kidnappings as a profitable business, writes during January 2021 the Taliban group 3 times kidnapped people which they kidnapped 17 people and ordered their families to pay high amounts of money to release their loved ones and they had no option but to pay them.
We would like to mention this report is not an inclusive one at all. And it shows how life had been difficult for Hazaras in Ghazni by the Taliban. No one can deny there have been numerous cases of kidnappings that the media had not been covered and they already have been forgotten.
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