Warsaw - Pakistani authorities have confirmed that a recently kidnapped Polish electrician is now in the hands of the Taliban, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. Unidentified gunmen kidnapped a Polish employee of an oil exploration firm and killed his driver and two guards in northern Pakistan on Sunday, police in Islamabad said.
"The [Polish] Ministry of Foreign Affairs got an assurance that Pakistani forces are leading an intensive effort to free our citizen," said a statement from spokesman Piotr Paszkowski.
Paszkowski said Pakistan's Interior Ministry confirmed the information to Poland late Thursday night. According to Pakistani officials, Paszkowski said, the Pole is being held near the border with Afghanistan.
The vehicle was ambushed in the Attock district of the Punjab, about 85 kilometres from the capital city Islamabad.
Peter Stanczak worked for Poland-based Geofizyka Krakow Limited, which is exploring natural resources reservoirs in the region. He was taken to an unknown location by the captors.
Foreigners and diplomats in Pakistan are currently at particular risk, as insurgents have intensified their attacks on "high-value targets" to avenge military operations against militants.
