My son was in Pakistan. He was 18 years old. During the time of the Taliban he wanted to come from Pakistan to Kabul but the Taliban forced him out of the car because he was Hazara. He was abducted in Tangi, Pul-e Charxi. Later we learned that Shoaib had been taken to Chauki Arghande. The next day around 7am I and his father went to Chauki Arghande. There were two boys there and I asked them “Is Shoaib with you?” They said “Yes”.

Then they started beating his father and threatened to take him away as well. His father started begging but finally I went and talked to them. I said “Oh Talib Sahib, Oh Mullah Sahib. Please don’t do this to us. Yes, we are Hazara but we are also Muslim”. He said “No, we have given him up for exchange”. It was raining and we were forced to go back home. We were thinking from whom to go to get a recommendation letter but we didn’t know anyone. I and his father returned to Chauki Arghande. We were told that Shoaib had been taken to Maidan Shahr. From there we went to the prison in Maidon Shah. It’s a long way to walk. When I asked about Shoaib, we were told that he was not there and had been taken out from the car here in Maidon Shah. Since that day, I didn’t see his face again. When we came back from Maidon Shah, his father became sick. He was sick for 18 days and then passed away. (Silence. Then crying). After the death of his father I went to Kandahar. I went without anybody to accompany me. I had a piece of paper with the address of Sarkusa, the location of the prison. I went to the prison but in front of the central prison I was told “You cannot go ahead like this. You have to go Mullah Omar, to the big mullah, write a petition to him and if he gives the order, tell us and then we search for him”. I said: “Oh god what to do now”. I wrote a petition. At around 1pm, I got the petition back. It said “All the people we took were sent to Herat.” Another failed attempt and I returned home without Shoaib and I never saw him again.

The reason why I am in this sad situation is because of this regime that came to power. During the war, we were hungry, we were thirsty, without shoes, without clothes. All these difficult times passed but now my son has disappeared and I don’t think that my son is alive.