Ishtiaq said that during the period of detention their visas expired and Dardi threatened them of dire consequences if they tried to escape. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
Ishtiaq said 24-year-old Fazl-e-Karim from Charsadda and 28-year-old Arif Irshad were working with him as labourers in a construction company. Ishtiaq, however, managed to escape and cross the border.
Speaking about his experiences at a press conference on Monday, Ishtiaq said he started working at the Memaraan-e-Parenda Construction Company (MPCC) in 2008 as a construction supervisor. MPCC is an Afghan company registered with the American Council of Engineering Companies, which has offices in Kabul, Kandahar and Badakhshan. “My job was to supervise and provide labour for the company.”
Ishtiaq added that the required construction material provided for a building was by MPCC owner Ahmad Dardi. “After the project was complete, the engineering council declared the work unsatisfactory. Dardi asked me to take responsibility to save the face of the company in front of the council.
He told me to arrange a meeting with the council, but I refused as I had informed the company several times about the faulty material, but they gave no heed,” he said.
“When we did not agree, Dardi and his two companions took the three of us to Shanan and locked us in their private prison. They threatened to kill us if we did not take responsibility for the incident.”
Escape was not easy for Ishtiaq. “They had kept my picture at every check post and the police was searching for me.”
He added that during the period of detention their visas expired and Dardi had threatened them of dire consequences if they tried to escape.
According to detainee Irshad’s uncle Hussain Ahmad, a jirga was sent to negotiate with Dardi, but he refused to let the prisoners go. “The only option left is to approach the Human Rights Commission to help secure the release of our family members.”
Ahmad said the company’s owner had contacted him and demanded Rs7 million in ransom for the release of the two men.
Hundreds of Pakistanis are working with local and international donor agencies in different cities in Afghanistan as labourers or low-rank employees. Many deported labourers have similar stories of humiliation and abuse.
“Pakistani nationals are looked upon with suspicion by the army and considered as enemies by the Afghans citizens,” Ishtiaq said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2013.
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As of today, the labors are still in the same compound, but now under police umbrella. Intead of recovering and sending back the prisoners to Pakistan, police has kept them with the same people and same site, the plea given is that they are waiting for the order of their Ministry from Kabul for further action. Althoug the labors have lodge complaint in the police station but police is reluctant to arrest their kidnappers. It seems that arrest or kidnapping Panjsheeries in Pakistan will move Afghan Govt. to recover and send back the labors.
@stranger: While Pakistan came from the womb of the same mother called India, and both still have many common traits, India is definitely moving in a different direction compared to the path taken by Pakistan which has invited nothing but destruction for itself and others. Its ideology based on terrorism and religious extremism will eventually destroy it. Why blame just Afghanis for the unfortunate treatment to the Pakistani prisoner? The whole world looks upon Pakistanis with suspicion, contempt and disrespect. That's the truth. You need to completely reform your mental thinking that has been brainwashed in schools and madrassahs by lies and fiction about Pakistan and India. The sooner you do that, the better for you.
Why does Pak support Afghanistan in many of its activities? I think India and Pak have more in common than Pak and Afghanistan.
Dears, I have been hearing and seeing abusing news regarding Pakistani's in Afghanistan in last couple of weeks, i will elaborate that hundred or thousands working here (from school to UN agencies) and being respected more than Afghans, I have an advice for every Pakistani brother if any one who wana come here and work first please check the company background (whether they have worked before or not) and please don't go to northern sides of Afghanistan (specially Persian dominant areas) because those people are strictly against Pakistanis. (They are not Only against Pakistanis but also against Pashtuns). Those people are abusing Pakistanis in Afghanistan but Pakistani police capture an ordinary Afghan (Pashtun) in Peshawer and torture them in reprisal which really hurts me.