Afghan security forces releases 2 abducted Pakistanis; Fahad Burney

Online - International News Network (19 Aug 2008)

KARACHI: Two Pakistani nationals who had illegally and unlawfully been arrested and imprisoned by Afghan security forces last month in Kabul, due only to the fact that they were Pakistani nationals, have been released after hectic efforts of the Ansar Burney Trust International.

Syed Furqan Shah and Mohammad Inam Ullah, two Pakistani citizens who worked at Safi Landmark Hotel in Kabul as General Manager and Manager, were abducted at 11am on the 2nd of July 2008 by Afghan security forces. No reason was given for their arrest except for the fact that they were Pakistani citizens and looked suspicious.

The two Pakistanis were on duty at the time the security personnel came to the hotel and abducted them without either of them ever committing a crime or without even a warrant. They were then taken to an unknown location.

However, the abduction of these innocent Pakistanis was witnessed by other members of staff at the hotel, who immediately contacted their families to inform them of the incident.

Panicked and in stress, the families tried to request for help from the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul and the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but to no avail. They received no assistance and were not even able to find out which prison the two Pakistanis had been taken to; and if they were even still alive or not. The relatives finally contacted the Ansar Burney Trust International for help.

In response to the request for help, the case of Syed Furqan Shah and Mohammad Inam Ullah was then taken up by Mr. Fahad Burney, Vice Chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust, who immediately contacted the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, the office of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and various other members of the Afghan Government to demand the immediate release of these two Pakistani nationals who had committed absolutely no crime, but had been abducted and illegally imprisoned.

In his letters and telephone calls to Afghan authorities, Fahad Burney informed them that there were many witnesses to the abduction of these innocent Pakistanis and unless they were released immediately, the Ansar Burney Trust would raise this issue at all international forum, including the United Nations.

Fahad Burney also demanded that justification be provided for the arrest of these two Pakistanis and whether any law permitted the Afghan agencies and security forces to arrest a person based only on their nationality.

After continues efforts of the Ansar Burney Trust, Syed Furqan Shah and Mohammad Inam Ullah were finally released from detention and are expected to return to their homes in Pakistan any time this week.

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