Feature: Afghan abductees' fate still uncertain, families stage sit-in to pressure gov't

"My father was abducted by militants, it has been more than two months since I've seen or talked with him," Zahra, 8, told Xinhua.

Zahra with her mother and members of families of abductees have staged a sit-in under a tent near the Afghan presidential palace in downtown Kabul, calling on the government for the safe release of kidnapped persons.

"I am not leaving this tent and not going to school until my father is released," the tiny Zahra said.

A total of 31 passengers were abducted by unknown armed men, possibly militants loyal to the Taliban outfit on Kabul-Kandahar highway in Zabul province on Feb. 24 and had been taken to an unknown location.

"My two sons were kidnapped around two months ago, while returning back from Iran, but they have still not been released. We have staged a sit-in under a tent here in Kabul to push the government to free them," Massoma, 45, told Xinhua.

Massoma comes from Bamiyan's Waras district, and belongs to a large and poor family, and she is saying that she has not lost hope for the safe release of her sons.

"I have 15 family members, but my two sons were the only bread- winners. Nobody understands our situation. Why are we the pawns of the government and insurgents tensions?" Massoma asked.

The Afghan government's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, according to local media reports, visited the tents last Friday but declined to provide details about the rescue operations.

"My son came from Kandahar and was abducted by insurgents. When his mother was informed about her son, she has passed away under the pressure, now I don't know who can help us. I'm disappointed at our government," Safar Ali, father of an abducted passenger from Ghazni province, told Xinhua.

The abductors, according to local media reports, have conditioned the release of the hostages to the release of 12 anti- government militants languishing in Afghan government prisons.

Meantime, Baqi Samandar, a civil society activist who is accompanying the sit-in protesters, in talks with Xinhua slammed the government for what he described as their failure in rescuing the abductees from the abductors' clutches, calling upon both Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah to take essential steps for the early release of abductees.

"I think the government does not have the choice or the ability to ensure the release of the abducted people. Taking hostages tremendously threatens our peace and stability," Samandar said. Endi