Czech official takes Zeman´s letter on girls´ kidnap to Pakistan

Galuska, who will hand over the letter to Zardari´s office, is to leave in the nearest future and to discuss on the spot further procedure of the two countries, Grohova said.

Originally the letter was to be delivered to Pakistan via the Pakistani ambassador in Prague, but it was eventually decided that the deputy minister will hand it personally to the office.

Two young Czech tourists were kidnapped in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan last Wednesday. Authorities do not yet have any information on them. The kidnappers have not contacted anyone. It may take months before they establish contact with any authority.

An emergency committee headed by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and comprising representatives of the bodies concerned has been dealing with the case since last week. Schwarzenberg has met Zeman in this connection.

The Czech women, aged about 25 yers, arrived in Pakistan from Iran as tourists heading for India. A group of eight or ten gunmen took them away in an off-road car together with a policeman who was accompanying them. The kidnappers later put him down, but kept his arm.

A group calling itself according to the women´s first names "Hanka and Tonca home" is active on the Facebook, trying to help the women´s relatives. It now associates some 11,000 people.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz