Mercy Corps says no ransom for kidnappers of its staff members

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: A non-governmental organization Mercy Corps has decided to close all its offices throughout Pakistan until three of its kidnapped officials are traced and released from the captivity of suspected militants, Dr. Saadullah, a spokesman of Marcy Corps, said.

Talking to this correspondent here on Tuesday, he said officials from the United States had reached Islamabad and were holding meetings with federal government to discuss the issue about the hostage-taking of its four officials.

The Mercy Corps shut down all its offices after the killing of one of its kidnapped drivers , Habibullah, who belonged to Bostan, an area located in the outskirts of Quetta, who was kidnapped along with three other officials in Qila Saifullah, bordering Afghanistan, on February 12^th. The other officials include Project Manager Dr Asif Abbas, Administration officer Babrak Suleman. Mercy Corps was recently working on Water and Sanitation projects in remote areas of Balochistan.

“It is an established tradition that International NGOs do not pay ransom, thus the kidnappers had contacted with families for ransom. It was the responsibility of government to make efforts and ensure the safe recovery of the kidnapped persons,” he said.

The kidnappers are said to be suspected militants who had several times demanded Rs 100 million as ransom for the release of officials. They also sent the video CD to bereaved family while the victim Habibullah was being slaughtered, he said.

Talking to media, Mohammad Shafa, brother of slain driver, said “before killing my brother the kidnappers interviewed him in Urdu and Pashtu languages. In an interview my brother said that kidnappers had decided to kill him and he made an appealed for early release of three other victims.”

Mohammad Shafa said that kidnappers used the same cell phone number to contact Marcy Corps and the families of kidnapped officials but neither government made any efforts nor Marcy Corps took an appropriate step seeking early release of his brother.

Several incidents had left fear among the International aid agencies and NGOs, particularly foreigner. “The ICRC has restricted its activities for the past month,” Provincial head Adriean Zinner Mann told this Correspondent. However, he said the office is functioning in Balochistan and the ICRC had nothing to do with Mercy Corps.

A month earlier, suspected militants sent a threat to The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) asking him to close down its services in Balochistan otherwise they would carry out attacks at office with grenade and rockets.

Also read The Baloch Hal editorial: End of Mercy (Corps)?