Taliban militants have beheaded a Polish geologist kidnapped in September after negotiations for a prisoner swap with the government failed, The Dawn reported Saturday,Feb 7
Taliban spokesman, who identified himself as Mohammed, said that Poitr Stancza was killed because authorities failed to free four activists of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi before a deadline expired at midnight on Friday, the daily said.
Stancza was kidnapped on Sept 28 while visiting one of his company’s sites in Attock. Gunmen shot dead his driver, bodyguard and translator before taking him hostage. Taliban had earlier demanded release of 135 of their comrades, an end to the military operation in Darra Adamkhel and payment of compensation to people affected by military operation.
Taliban sources told the Dawn that Mr Poitr had been offered to call his family on telephone before his execution, but he had refused, pleading that his government was trying for his release.
BALOCH GROUP CLAIM
Balochistan Liberation United Front (BLUF), an unknown outfit has claimed responsibility on Saturday Feb 7 for abducting an American working for the UN refugee agency in Pakistan. And threatened to kill him if its demands are not met.
John Solecki, head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Quetta, was kidnapped on Feb 2, after gunmen ambushed his car and shot dead his driver.
A BLUF spokesman said they had kidnapped the man to make the United Nations pay attention to the “plight” of the Balochi people.
“We have three demands, and if our demands are not met, then John Solecki will lose his life,” the spokesman, identifying himself as Shahak Baloch.
“We want the United Nations to secure the release of 141 women in Pakistani torture cells, provide information about more than 6,000 missing persons, and resolve the issue of Baloch independence under the Geneva Convention.”