ASIA/PAKISTAN - Bishop of Multan’s appeal to the kidnappers; for Caritas it is "red alert among the NGOs"

Multan (Agenzia Fides) - "We are in close contact with the government and the police. We have activated all the contacts of the local Justice and Peace Commission, we hope to have positive news on the two aid workers kidnapped in a day or two. We appeal to the kidnappers for their release, they are people who are working for the good of the poor. We pray for their salvation, and we entrust them to the Providence of God". This is what His Exc. Mgr. Andrew Francis, Bishop of Multan says to Fides, commenting on the kidnapping of two European aid workers (the Italian Giovanni Lo Porto and the German Bernd Johannes), which took place yesterday in the district of Multan.
Samuel Clement, Executive Secretary of Caritas in Multan, told Fides: "For us it is shocking news. We are concerned for all our volunteers and for the 25 Caritas workers who are currently engaged in the aid to flood victims. Among the foreign NGOs there is extreme concern. We knew that the areas where rampant gang of kidnappers are Baluchistan and the Northern Province, but not Punjab. If humanitarian workers are not safe and not protected, then in the future foreign NGOs will no longer go to Pakistan. And given the frequent humanitarian emergencies, such as the recent floods, we desperately need them". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/01/2012)