The Afghan translator kidnapped along with an Italian journalist, but who remains captive while the Italian was freed, has personally appealed to Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president.

Ajmal Naqshbandi, a translator and journalist, appealed on Friday for the president's help, at the same time accusing him of caring only for foreigners.

"You have forgotten the Afghan journalist," Naqshbandi told Karzai, in an appeal passed on through Rahimullah Yusufzai, a Pakistani journalist.

"You are worried only for the foreigners and you are not worried for Afghans."

Rome rally

About 400 people meanwhile rallied in Rome on Saturday to demand the release of Naqshbandi.

The crowd also demanded the release of Rahmatullah Hanefi, believed to be held by the Afghan secret service. Hanefi played a role in freeing the Italian journalist.

Two large portraits of the men were displayed on either side of the speakers' platform.

Naqshbandi has been held for almost a month since he, Daniel Mastrogiacomo, a journalist with the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica, and Sayed Agha, their driver, were kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

Agha was beheaded in what most analysts say was a move to put pressure on Rome and Kabul to release five senior Taliban officials.

Mastrogiacomo was released just over 10 days ago, returning to Italy, after Italy persuaded the Afghan government to release the five Taliban officials.

Naqshbandi was reported as saying Mullah Dadullah, the Taliban military chief, had said the Afghan translator would be released in exchange for three more junior Taliban.

Asked what would happen to him if the three were not released, Yusufzai, who reported the conversation, said the phone was taken by a Taliban commander who said no decision had yet been made.

The risk of kidnap for foreign journalists and aid workers in Afghanistan is now thought to have increased because of the Italian government's actions, something which also raised some criticism in Italy.

PHOTO CAPTION

Afghan journalist Ajmal Naqshbandi was kidnapped by Taliban while he was working for Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo. Mastrogiacomo was released last week in exchange of five Taliban prisoners -- a deal widely condemned as setting a dangerous precedent. (AFP)

Al-Jazeera