PRAGUE: President Milos Zeman says the Czech Republic paid a ransom for the release of two Czech women who were kidnapped in Pakistan in 2013.

Hana Humpalova and Antonie Chrastecka were on the road from Iran to Quetta when they were seized in March 2013.

They returned home last year in March and the government said their release was negotiated by a Turkish non-governmental humanitarian organisation.

Mr Zeman confirmed on Wednesday information about the ransom first released in the latest edition of the weekly magazine Respekt. He said during a visit to a western Czech region that 150 million koruna ($6.2m) was paid, adding it was a tough decision.

The government had earlier denied any ransom was paid.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2016