Kidnapping Must Be Global Issue

By Shamim Shahid

Special to The Korea Times

PESHAWAR, Pakistan _ Trade in narcotics or illicit goods and items was once the major revenue source for all those who were either involved in militancy or resistance against their respective states throughout the world.

But now with the production of drugs on the decline and smuggling of illicit items becoming much more difficult, militants have adopted the strategy of kidnapping for ransom as a source of revenue for meeting their expenses.

No one can deny the fact that kidnapping for ransom has been common in several underdeveloped countries for a long time. In this South Asian region, criminals and anti-social elements are considering kidnapping for ransom as a valuable, beneficial and most safe way for generating revenue.

During the war against the former Soviet Union in Afghanistan, no one other than U.S. authorities have charged certain Afghan Mujahideen leaders, particularly Engineer Gulbadin Hekmatyar and some of his Pakistani friends and colleagues including high-ranking members of military and intelligence forces, for indulging in narcotics trade and trafficking in the region.

And later on similar accusations were leveled against almost all of the Mujahideen leaders, who after the resignation of late Najib Ullah, entered into a strange power-pulling game for influence and resources.

The allegation of earning from narcotics trade and trafficking reached its peak during the regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan. At that time, leading drug traffickers and producers become major sponsors and financiers of the Taliban.

Even some of these traffickers have diplomatic passports from Afghanistan and are treated in the hospitals of western and Arab countries like Germany, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

However, with the passage of time, particularly after the 9/11 tragedy, narcotics trade and trafficking have lost their utility and the militants and resistance forces have diverted their attention toward kidnapping for ransom to meet their expenses.

Within years, this trend was not only more protective for these militants but even it become more attractive, because the kidnappers could get a lot without any investment or input.

The trend of kidnapping for ransom grew in momentum the last couple years in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. At present, the militants have challenged the writ of the government with the taking of more than 100 personnel of security forces as hostages in the South Waziristan Agency.

Until last week, the militants, known as the Taliban, had fuelled further worries of the global community by taking 21 South Korean nationals as hostages in central Ghazni province of Afghanistan. And previously kidnappers also made hostages of German, Italian and other foreigners in parts of Afghanistan.

With such acts as taking either the foreigners or personnel of security forces as hostages, the militants from both Pakistan and Afghanistan seem to be achieving similar objectives, which is the release of their accomplices and money.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban succeeded in getting the release of their important leaders and commanders and in Pakistan. The militants also materialized their dreams of rescuing their most dangerous accomplices involved in terrorism and suicide acts.

The kidnappers, associated with Taliban have demanded millions of rupees as ransom in return of freeing the hostages. And just for the confirmation of their self-styled credential to be Islamic, they went for the slaughtering of innocent local helpers and guides.

And no one other than international community, particularly the so-called champions of human rights and rescuers, could be held responsible for encouragement of these inhuman acts by playing the role of a broker in making easy or materializing the deal for ransom.

At the beginning of the current calendar year, a Peshawar-based journalist along with a friend was abducted by criminals just for ransom. But credit went to all the Peshawar-based journalists as well as people from trade, business and socio-politico circles, who from the first day declared that they would not pay a single penny.

And at last, the kidnappers left with no option other than surrender. Responsibility rests with leaders and policymakers from all over the world to declare kidnapping a global issue like narcotics trade and trafficking. The leaders should take steps for its eradication quickly, because otherwise no one could be safe in any part of the world.

Shamim Shahid is a Peshawar-based journalist.