The Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday that it was in touch with authorities in Afghanistan to secure the release of seven Indians who were abducted in Baghlan province on May 6, PTI reported.
“We are in touch with different people who are involved in the exercise through the Afghan government,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. However, Kumar refused to share any details about the communication between Indian and Afghan authorities, citing the “sensitivity” of the matter.
“This is a sensitive matter. The lives of seven Indians are involved and, therefore, I would not like to share much on where we are at this point of time,” he added.
On Monday, Kabul assured New Delhi that the country’s security forces will secure the release of the abducted Indians. The Ministry of External Affairs said Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani had added that efforts have been initiated through community elders in the Baghlan province to secure the release of the Indians.
The foreign ministry’s statement came a day after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to Rabbani about the abduction.
The Indians are engineers at KEC International, an RPG group company, and were working on the construction of a power sub-station in Baghlan. Afghan media reported that Taliban commander Qari Nooruddin had kidnapped the Indians on Sunday.
Baghlan Governor Abdulhai Nemati said that the abductors had moved the KEC employees to Dand-e-Shahabuddin area. This is the third case of abduction of Indians in Afghanistan in the last four years.
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