British nurse kidnapped in volatile Pakistan city of Quetta The vehicle carrying Mr Dale, who comes from Dumfries and Galloway, was last seen heading towards a highway that runs to the Chaman border crossing with Afghanistan. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. The ICRC confirmed the incident, which happened at about 1 pm local time, adding there was "no indication as to the abductors' identities or motives." The ICRC urged the "rapid and unconditional release of its kidnapped staff member," pledging to continue its "humanitarian work in Pakistan." Mr Dale, who previously worked in Somalia, Sudan and Afghanistan, was in charge of an ICRC programme to provide equipment and training to local hospitals. Kidnappings are common in Baluchistan, with criminal gangs targeting foreign aid workers in the hope of securing large ransoms. Hostages are sometimes passed on to armed groups linked to the Taliban or al-Qaeda. In 2009, an American employee of the United Nations was abducted in Quetta by the separatist Baluchistan Liberation United Front. He was held for two months before being released. More recently, the Taliban claimed to be holding a Swiss couple who were kidnapped in Baluchistan last year. An American contractor is still missing after being taken in August from his house in Lahore, in Punjab province. Foreign aid workers in Pakistan operate under tight security restrictions. But the Geneva-based ICRC, which prizes its reputation for neutrality, does not hire armed security in the country so Mr Dale would not have been accompanied by guards. This week, the ICRC made a separate announcement that it would close six offices in a neighbouring province. A spokesman said this was partially because of "access constraints" in certain areas. Mr Dale, who is unmarried and converted to Islam in his 20s, began his career as a casualty nurse at Dumfries Infirmary, but left in 1976 to work as a medic on a North Sea oil rig. After that, he became an aid worker, serving in Iran - where he was placed under house arrest during the revolution of 1979 - and later in war zones in Asia and Africa. He took a career break to study anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, graduating in 1992. He then worked for the ICRC in Somalia during the worst days of the country's civil war. "I've been to a lot of war zones and famine camps and cholera camps," he said in a later interview. But I've never ever seen anything like Somalia was at that time. On one occasion, a Somali gunman held a Kalashnikov assault rifle to Mr Dale's head. "I managed to keep cool and answered him quietly," he later remembered. After four minutes he let me go. Charles Schooling, a friend in Dumfries, said that he received an email from Mr Dale - also known as Ken - earlier this week. He told me he was still in Quetta and was keeping fine. Ken is a very fine chap. He has had a lot of experience and knows how to cope with danger. Andrea Hayes, a friend and former colleague of Mr Dale, said: "Anyone who has ever come into contact with him will tell you what a caring and fantastic guy he is. He has devoted his life to helping other people. We're just praying that he is released unharmed.