The Taliban have kidnapped six Afghan medical workers in another attempt to exploit President Hamid Karzai's government into releasing more prisoners.
"The latest is that the Taliban are demanding that two of their prisoners in the Kandahar jail be released," said CTV's Paul Workman from Kandahar.
Contact has been made with the Taliban and with the prisoners, Workman said, but no deadline has been set for demands to be met.
The request comes after Karzai approved the release of five Taliban prisoners in exchange for Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo.
"It's a very difficult issue for Afghan President Hamid Karzai," said Workman.
"The precedent was set last week by releasing the Italian so the question for the Afghans is: 'Is the life of an Italian journalist worth more than the life of six Afghans who are now being held by the Taliban?'" asked Workman.
The Afghan workers -- a doctor, nurse, midwife, pharmacist and two drivers -- were on their way home from a refugee camp last night when they were grabbed.
"Everybody predicted that by giving into the Taliban in the first place it was really an invitation to them to take more hostages," said Workman.
"Everybody suggests that foreigners and journalists are at much more risk now... the Taliban have said that they will be looking for more Western hostages."
In an exclusive interview with Workman last week, Karzai expressed regret over the deal to free the Italian.
"Had I not done that, and those terrorists had killed the Italian, the Italian people would have said the Afghans have no heart for us, they don't care what happens to us. We have been there, but when we ask them to help us they don't do it," Karzai said.
Karzai said the bottom line was that he couldn't say no after the Italians called and asked for his help on several occasions.
"It's a human-to-human response in times of need. We needed help from the rest of the world and it came to us, and the other day Italy needed help from us and I had to deliver."
NATO leaders met yesterday in Brussels to achieve a common policy on hostage takings.
Nicholas Burns, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, said a consensus had been reached to not allow similar deals in future.
