Alarming rise in kidnappings causes panic in Herat

HERAT CITY (SW) – Alarming rise in armed robberies and kidnappings have caused panic in Herat, but the locals blame the government for not paying attention to address this issue.

Abdul Lateef and Naseer Ahmad, two Herat residents have recently been freed by kidnapers after keeping this hostage for more than a month, and taking extortion money worth AFN 160, 000 from them. They told Salam Watandar the kidnappers took them away from a park in the Shedaey area of the city.

The two men said they continue to live with fear, but see no sign of improvement in security.

The local civil society is equally frustrated with the state of affairs in this regard. Nisar Ahmad and Syed Ashraf, two local civil society activists, said it is the responsibility of the security forces to ensure peace and safety of the residents. They added such incidents leave traumatic impacts on the socio-political and economic life.

Meanwhile, Jailani Farhad, spokesman for the governor, while acknowledging the security concerns, stressed serious steps have been taken to improve the situation. Police officials in Herat also vowed to have taken necessary steps to nab gangs of kidnapers.

ENDS