Sushma to meet families of Indians abducted in Afghanistan

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will meet sometime next week the families of the six Indians abducted in Afghanistan last month, an official said on Thursday.

At a media briefing here, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Sushma Swaraj, currently in South Africa, had offered to meet them sometime next week.

"I am sure when she comes back, she would like to meet them and we are working out a date and a time for that," Kumar said.

Militants abducted seven people, including six Indians, on May 6 in Afghanistan's Baghlan province. The kidnapping took place in Bagh-e-Shamal village.

According to local officials, the incident occurred while the employees were travelling to the area where the company has a contract for an electricity sub-station.

Baghlan Governor Abdulhai Nemati said the Taliban had done the kidnapping and moved the group to the Dand-e-Shahabuddin area of Pul-e-Khumri city.

According to Kumar, the government was giving top priority to this problem. "We are in touch with the Afghan side, we are in touch with other stakeholders.

"Since it is matter of great sensitivity and lives are involved, so I would not like to get into two many details in this matter."

Kidnapping of locals for extortion is common in Afghanistan. Most of those abducted have been Afghans but foreign workers have also become targets.

In 2016, Indian aid worker Judith D'Souza was kidnapped in Kabul. She was released after 40 days.

--IANS

ab/mr