UN renews appeal for release of abducted official in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, -- The United Nations Friday reiterated its appeal to kidnapper to release a UN official kidnapped in southwestern Pakistan. John Solecki, an American national working as the head of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in southwestern Pakistan's Quetta city, capital of Balochistan province, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen at the beginning of this month."The United Nations is aware of the message received Wednesday evening through the media, and we take it seriously," a UN statement said."The United Nations remains extremely concerned about John Solecki's health, which we are told is deteriorating," said the statement, released by Maki Shinohara, UN Spokesperson in Islamabad.A group named The Baloch Liberation United Front (BLUF) has claimed responsibility of the kidnapping and released his video with a list of demands to release hundreds of Baloch women and recovery of thousands of missing Balochs and solution to Balochistan problems through Geneva Convention, the News Network International news agency reported.The BLUF, threatening to kill Solecki, has earlier set a 72-hour deadline for acceptance of demands but later extended the deadline for a few days.The United Nations earlier appealed to the kidnappers for direct contact but the request was turned down."The United Nations once again appeals to those having John to contact us, if not directly, then through a trusted intermediary so that the situation can be resolved in a peaceful dialogue," said the UN statement on Friday.