QUETTA, May 25: Another official of the Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP), an NGO, has been killed by kidnappers in North Waziristan after non-payment of the huge ransom they had demanded.

He was the second BRSP official to have been killed by the kidnappers over the past three months.

Abdul Ghafoor was kidnapped by a group of armed men along with five other officials of BRSP on Dec 13 from the Barshor area of Pishin district when they were returning to Quetta after inspecting a health project.

A senior BRSP official, while confirming the murder of the organisation’s official, said that his body was found in an area in Waziristan, close to the Zhob district of Balochistan.

“Four officials of the organisation are still in the custody of kidnappers,” the official said, adding that the organisation was making all possible efforts for safe recovery of the remaining officials.

“We have received reports that Abdul Ghafoor, who was kidnapped along with five other BRSP officials, has been killed by kidnappers,” he said.

The family of slain BRSP employee also confirmed the killing of Mr Ghafoor.

Zhob Division’s Commissioner was informed by the administration of Wana about the killing of the BRSP official and said that the body had been found near a mosque. After receiving the information, the Zhob administration sent officials, along with relatives of the deceased, at the border between Zhob and North Waziristan.

“The body of BRSP official received by an official of the Zhob administration from Wana officials and it was sent to the native village of the deceased in Barshor area of Pishin district,” Commissioner Hamidul Karim told Dawn.

Sources said that the group kidnapped BRSP officials and demanded Rs230 million as ransom for their release.

The BRSP and tribal elders held talks with the kidnappers for the release of the officials, but talks did not succeed because the kidnappers refused to reduce the ransom amount.

The provincial government, despite a call by members of the Balochistan Assembly, refused to arrange the ransom amount.

Relatives of the kidnapped officials had set up a camp in Quetta to collect donations from people to pay ransom. However, despite launching a hectic campaign, they were able to collect only a meagre amount over the past two months.