Suspense over UN diplomat Solecki's fate

Suspense hung over the fate of American United Nations diplomat John Solecki who was kidnapped in Pakistan's Balochistan province with an unidentified caller claiming that he had been killed, and hours later the Baloch group which had abducted him saying he was alive.

An unidentified caller had telephoned the Quetta Press Club to claim that Solecki had been killed by his abductors. The caller also said that his body would be brought to Quetta Press Club after two hours.

However, a spokesman for the Balochistan Liberation United Front, the group that kidnapped Solecki, later called media persons in Quetta and told them that the UN official was safe. He denied the report that Solecki had been killed.

The BLUF spokesman said medical facilities were being provided to the ailing Solecki. He also said no harm had been caused to Solecki.

Officials said they were investigating the anonymous call to the Press Club, which was traced to Noshki, a district located 250 km west of Quetta and near the Pakistan border with Afghanistan.

Solecki, who heads the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office in south-western Balochistan province, was kidnapped on February 2 by gunmen who killed his driver. The hitherto unheard of BLUF claimed responsibility for the abduction.