A number of anguished parents have breathed a sigh of relief when 19, of 31, hostages were released on May 11th; however few others yet wait and pray with a sense of deep grief. This should have sparked a glimmer of hope in the hearts of the unreleased abductees’ families – who suffer excruciatingly.

Masked gunmen seized 31 passengers from a bus in the southern Afghan province of Zabul in late February as they were returning from Iran.

Government efforts to secure their release have been shrouded in mystery as the Taliban, waging a 13-year insurgency in Afghanistan, distanced themselves from the incident.

No militant groups, including the Islamic State, claimed the responsibility for the abduction, but reports suggested that the abductors demanded release of insurgents from Afghan prisons – that was later turned down by the Afghan president. Moreover, Afghan officials believed that the Islamic State were behind the incident, since the militants were said to have spoken in foreign language.

Regarding the release of 19 abductees, social networks and a Pakistani newspaper wrote that the men “were released Monday in exchange for scores of Uzbek militant fighters held in government prisons”. Similarly, Asadullah Kakar, a provincial council member of Zabul province was cited that the men were freed “in exchange of 22 Uzbek militant fighters”. But Hasan Reza Yousufi, a provincial council member in Ghazni province, said that there was a lower number of the exchanged prisoners, saying “10 to 16 Taliban detainees from Chechnya and Uzbekistan”.

However, Afghan President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani stressed that there was no issue of exchange – neither for money nor for militant prisoners. He said that political issues need patience and tolerance and cannot be decided over night. He addressed people to be tolerant and act more cautiously in such conditions. Likewise, President Ghani stated that safeguarding the nation is government’s responsibility and a cautious act – which will be done in a slow process – does not mean the officials’ negligence. Finally, he hoped that the rest of the victims also will be released.

To the unmitigated chagrin of the victims’ families, local media report that 2 of the abductees were killed and 2 others died within the past two months.

Anyhow, Afghan political elites say with strong belief that 30 militants, including women and children were released from the government’s prisons in exchange for the 19 abductees.

In addition, local news reported that Afghan soldiers withdraw from Nawah district of Ghazni province due to mysterious reason after capturing it from the Taliban with heavy charges. In such a case, it will be recaptured by the militants. Reports say that it is doubted that surrendering Nawah district to the Taliban militants might have been agreed upon as an exchange for the abductees’ release.

I believe that if this rumor comes true, the abductees’ release would be a pyrrhic victory for Afghan government. And it means that the militants bear great power which enables them to have their prisoners released through new political deception – which is taking hostages from the innocent citizens.

Constitutionally, protecting the rights and freedoms of people are government’s responsibility – as it was mentioned by the President. This was also said in the Constitution’s preamble to “form a civil society void of oppression, atrocity, discrimination as well as violence, based on rule of law, social justice, protecting integrity and human rights, and attaining peoples’ freedoms and fundamental rights….”

Ill-fatedly, the citizens’ rights are violated to a large extent in one way or another. As a result, people fall prey to sectarian tension caused by the militants – waving either the white flag of the Taliban or the black flag of the Islamic State. To put it succinctly, the citizens, including women and children, are victimized on the grounds of sex, color, race, belief, etc. The abduction of 31 passengers reflected a clear picture of sectarianism carried out by the militants.

Militants last month conducted IS-style beheadings of five Shias who were abducted in southeastern Afghanistan, highlighting a growing pattern of insurgent assaults on ethnic minorities.

They were kidnapped in the restive province of Ghazni after they travelled out of their home district to shop for cattle.

Such abductions send shockwaves through the community, evoking memories of the Taliban’s rule from 1996 to 2001, when minorities were heavily persecuted.

The government will have to devise a new strategy to end the militancy and let not sectarianism take a stronger root in the country. A military backlash in response to “spring offensive” is a dire need to demoralize the militants and protect the citizens’ rights, “strengthen national unity, safeguard independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country”.

It is time to shake a friendly hand with Pakistan and launch a joint attack against terrorism, especially across the Durand Line – as it was said by the Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had a trip to Kabul along with high-ranking Pakistani officials. Yeah, it is time to bury the past differences with our neighbors and joint force against the common enemy. Hope Pakistan will fulfill her promise in this regard.

At the end, I have to thank President Ashraf Ghani for considering the citizens’ rights and mollifying the victims’ families via releasing them. It is hoped he will spare no effort to free the rest of the abductees and put an end to the grief of their anguished parents.