Eight Pakistani aid workers of US NGO American Refugee Committee (ARC) were abducted on Tuesday by unidentified armed men from an Afghan refugee camp along the Quetta-Chaman Highway in Pishin district, 50kms north of Quetta.
Officials said the aid workers were returning from field work in Surkhab Afghan refugee camp on Monday afternoon when armed men intercepted their vehicle and took them away along with the official vehicle.
They were identified as Izzatullah, Mujibur Rahman, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Saeed, Nasrullah, Sabir, Naseebullah and driver Mohammad Khalil.
Home and Tribal Affairs Balochistan Secretary Zaffarullah Baloch said the aid workers, all of who were Pakistanis, were returning from work in two vehicles. He said the first vehicle carrying female staff returned to its destination safely, but the other was intercepted by yet to be identified assailants. Pishin Deputy Commissioner Abdul Mansoor Kakar said eight staffers of ARC were kidnapped in the afternoon and the local administration was informed of the incident by the NGO at night.
He said the passing of information after a lapse of six hours in fact helped the abductors to reach safety. However, the administration was making all efforts for the safe recovery of ARC employees by dispatching raiding parties to several areas.
Some government officials rejected the possibility of involvement of militants, saying some criminals must have abducted the men for ransom.
The ARC has been working in refugee camps of Quetta and Pishin since 2002, providing healthcare and training to locals. It also runs a hospital in Surkhab camp in collaboration with the UNHCR.
Governament is lieing that the kidnapper have passed six hour laps when govt get information.
I m a residant of pishin i know that govt was informed at almost 02:15pm, then one of the levies named KHAIRO chased them almost half hour and then he said that his car’s petrol finished/
it means tha millitants are involved in this case.
thanks
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