PESHAWAR, Feb 13: Former NWFP Chief Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has expressed concern over the plight of Pukhtoons held captive in Afghanistan and asked Afghan government to immediately release them.

In a statement here Wednesday, he hailed the statement of Hamid Karzai, Chairman Interim Afghan government, to screen the prisoners and hoped that the latter would translate his words into action.

He said some extremists had misled the Pukhtoon youth during the war on terror in Afghanistan for political motives.

The leader of his own faction of PPP deplored the captivity of Pakistani youth in hands of Afghan warlords demanding ransom for their release.

The former chief minister of the province apprehended that it would generate hatred between the two peoples. He added this contentious issue should be resolved on urgent basis.

He expressed concern over the mistreatment with these prisoners, and said that they should not be mixed up with hard-core Taliban or Al-Qaeda followers.

Their relatives should be allowed to meet them, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao demanded.