KOHAT, Jan 29: The Tehrik-i-Taliban, Darra Adamkhel chapter, on Thursday gave one week deadline to the government to accept their demands, otherwise they would kill the kidnapped Polish geologist.

A spokesman for the Darra Taliban called Dawn’s office here on Thursday and said: “We cannot wait more as the government has taken acceptance of our demands (in return) for the release of Polish geologist Peter (Stanczak) very light. So, our Shura has decided to wait till Feb 4 evening for a positive reply from the government and in case of refusal we will kill him.”

The spokesman, who identified himself as Mohammad, said they had demanded from the government complete withdrawal of security forces from tribal areas and release of their captured companions. To a question, he said: “We are not interested in ransom and just want the government to accept our two longstanding demands.”

The Polish geologist working for the Oil and Gas development Company Limited is in the custody of the Taliban reportedly at a place near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He had been kidnapped from an OGDCL facility near the Jand town of the Attock district, Punjab, four months ago.

He had been shifted from Attock in a boat through the Indus River to Kohat and then taken by the Taliban to their hideout.

The Taliban had released his video in which the victim had appealed to his government to request Pakistan for acceptance of demands of the Taliban to save his life.