The Afghan Martyrs — Page 105
lasted for seven years. Then some influential people of the Khost region submitted a petition to the government pleading that they may be freed. They pointed out that apart from being of Syed origin the family had earned a great deal of well deserved unprecedented esteem. Also, that at the time of martyrdom the children were very young and had no kno~ledge of Ahmadiyyat. Ameer Habeebulla, who was then the King, accepted the petition and granted permission for the family to return to their ancestral home in Khost. However their property and assets which had been confiscated by the government, were not restored. It was a strange coincidence that the family of the martyr came back to their ancestral home at the same time of year in which they had left i. e. the beginning of the winter. Mter approximately six months the assets of those members of the family who were not Ahmadis were returned but on the plea that the sons of the martyr were well off their property was not returned. When the private secretary of the Sardar enquired what they were to live on, in answer Sardar Nasrulla merely said, "It is entirely up to them. We will not help. " A large number of residents of the region who held the family in great esteem were unable to witness this gross injustice. Fearing a reaction from some sympathizers against the continued injustice, the government had the whole family, now only consisting of fourteen members, brought to Kabul under armed escort. They were allotted two exceptionally small rooms for residential accommodation. When it was petitioned that it was difficult for the family to manage in the limited space, especially when there was no provision to accommodate servants they were told that nothing could be done. Then a house which was the bare minimum for their needs was rented. During that period it was necessary to personally report to the police station twice a week 105