Foreigner duo abducted in Multan held by Taliban

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two Western aid workers kidnapped in Pakistan in January are beingheld by the Pakistan Taliban near the border with Afghanistan, asenior militant commander told Reuters on Saturday.

Gunmen stormed a house in Multan in southern Punjab provinceon Jan. 19 and drove away with two foreigners -- one an Italiancitizen and the other believed to be a German.

"The two NGO (non-governmental organisation) workers whowere kidnapped in Multan nearly a month ago are in our custodynear the border. We haven't made any demands yet," a seniorcommander of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said.

"They are in good health."

A Punjab provincial police chief said last month theforeigners were being held for ransom.

Criminal gangs often target foreign aid workers in Pakistanin hope of securing large ransoms for their release. Pakistaniofficials say militant groups such as the Taliban are alsoinvolved in kidnappings.

The senior commander said the Westerners were being held bythe Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella group of Pakistanimilitant factions formed in 2007 which is also allied with theAfghan Taliban and al Qaeda.

In January, a Kenyan aid worker and his Pakistani driverwent missing in southern Sindh province. A British doctor withthe International Committee of the Red Cross was kidnapped bygunmen from the southwestern city of Quetta on Jan. 5.

Last year, American aid worker Warren Weinstein waskidnapped from the central Pakistani city of Lahore. Al Qaedaclaimed responsibility for Weinstein's abduction in December.

In July, a Swiss couple was kidnapped from the southwesternBaluchistan province by the Pakistani Taliban.
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Such kidnappings in Pakistan put off long-term investors.Foreign direct investment in Pakistan fell 37 percent to $531.2million in the second half of 2011 from $839.6 million in thefinal six months of 2010.