ICRC halts Pakistani work after slaying

• Tweet

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 10 (UPI) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross said it suspended some of its activities in Pakistan following the slaying of one if its program managers.

The ICRC confirmed in late April Khalil Rasjed Dale, 60, was killed in Pakistan. He was kidnapped Jan. 5 by unidentified men, the organization said.

Pakistani newspaper Dawn reports Dale's decapitated body was found in an apple orchard. The ICRC said Dale had been working as a healthcare program manager in Quetta for nearly a year.

Jacques de Maio, director of South Asia operations for the ICRC, said operations in Peshawar and Karachi were suspended as a result of the slaying. Operations in Balochistan had already been suspended following the incident.

"The recent attack against the ICRC compels us to completely reassess the balance between the humanitarian impact of our activities and the risks faced by our staff," he said in a statement.

ICRC officials said they were assessing the situation in Pakistan to outline a sustainable way forward. It expects to make an announcement on its future operations in the country in the coming weeks.

The ICRC has been working in Pakistan for 65 years.