Kidnapped Balkh child turns 10 while still being held hostage

Abdul Raouf, the Balkh boy kidnapped six months ago, celebrated his tenth birthday Thursday – a day that saw his emotional parents plead with government to help get their boy back.

The child’s mother said it was extremely difficult for her to not be with her son on his special day – especially as they have celebrated every birthday of his until now.

“Today is Abdul Raouf’s birthday, but he is not with us, and it is very difficult for us today, and if he was with us, we would celebrate his birthday today,” said his mother Zuhra.

The boy’s parents are also devastated about government not having been able to secure the release of their child, six months after he was kidnapped.

In a bid to push government to do more to release the child, the family has carried out a sit-in protest, in tents, outside the Balkh governor’s office for the past five months.

Mohammad Nabi, Abdul Raouf’s father, said that government officials had done nothing to help them except make promises.

“These people (government officials) have a harder heart than a stone and they do not care about anyone, and if they cared about someone, they would have found a clue [to his whereabouts] in six months,” said his father Mohammad Rafi.

One of the protesters said the kidnappers want money in exchange for Abdul Raouf, and every few days the family receives threatening messages.

“Nowadays the kidnappers are demanding one million and two hundred thousand dollars ($1.2 million),” said Kamal, one of the protesters.

Security officials meanwhile have stated they carried out numerous operations in the search for the child and that they have arrested suspects but in recent weeks, no new information has been shared with the media.