American U.N. Official Is Abducted in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A senior United Nations official was abducted and his driver was killed Monday morning in the southwestern city of Quetta, according to United Nations and Pakistani officials.The United Nations identified the official as John Solecki, an American, who was heading the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan Province.“We are confirming that an unfortunate incident happened this morning when Mr. John Solecki was abducted,” Amena Kamal, the spokeswoman for the United Nations in Islamabad, said by telephone.Ron Redmond, the spokesman for the United Nations refugee office in Geneva also confirmed the abduction but gave no details. The agency has 49 staff members in Quetta, where it has worked since 1980. It provides support to some 400,000 Afghan refugees in 10 villages and camps, agency officials said.There were no immediate claims of responsibility.A Pakistani security official said that such a high-profile kidnapping was unusual in Quetta and that he believed that Mr. Solecki probably had been seized for ransom or by the Taliban.Mr. Solecki had been in Pakistan for about two years, Ms. Kamal said. She said he was headed to work Monday morning when his vehicle was intercepted by gunmen. The driver was shot during the abduction and died on the way to the hospital, she said.Television images showed the white Toyota vehicle of Mr. Solecki rammed against a wall by the roadside — apparently as a result of the driver losing control of the vehicle after it came under fire. The police cordoned off the street after the incident.
Ms. Kamal said there had been no prior threats.
United Nations officials said the aid agency was in touch with the Pakistani government to try to obtain Mr. Solecki’s release.Wazir Khan Nasir, an official in the Quetta police, was quoted by Pakistani television as saying that Mr. Solecki did not have armed guards with him.Baluchistan Province borders Afghanistan and it has seen a low-level insurgency spearheaded by nationalists who are demanding more autonomy and a greater share in the province’s natural resources.At the same time, the Taliban have also maintained their presence in several districts of the province, especially the border areas.