Canadian Al-Jazeera Reporter Abducted in Northern Pakistan

A Canadian woman, who was seized at gunpoint in northern Pakistan, was working as a freelance filmmaker for Al-Jazeera network, according to media reports Friday.

Canadian officials and Pakistani authorities have been cooperating to secure the release of Beverly Giesbrecht, a former magazine publisher who was filming a documentary in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province.

Giesbrecht, a convert to Islam following 9/11, goes by the name Khadija Abdul Qahaar. She runs the Web site jihadunspun.com, which is critical of the War on Terror and its coverage in the mainstream media.

Giesbrecht left Vancouver on April 7, and flew to London, England, going on to Lahore, Pakistan, on Aug. 4, The Globe & Mail reported. She was taken from her taxi at gunpoint on Tuesday.

A few weeks before she was abducted, Giesbrecht appealed for financial help to get out of the country. She posted an entry on her Web site on Oct. 22, titled, "An Urgent Request From Khadija Abdul Qahaar."

"Pakistan is now erupting into a full-scale war zone. We have been in some very sensitive areas and even Islamabad is now locked down. As foreigners we must leave the country however we do not have the funds to get out," she wrote.

"Allah knows that I really dislike having to ask but please know how hard we work for Allah. We have managed to get very good material out of the country to our production group but our physical safety is now paramount."

"As a woman, I have already had a few close calls in the tribal areas as kidnappers and thieves are running loose even in Peshawar."

News of Giesbrecht's kidnapping comes only days after Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reporter Mellissa Fung, 35, was safely released in Afghanistan after being held by kidnappers for a month. Canadian media kept details of Fung's 28-day abduction quiet until after her release, fearing the publicity could jeopardize efforts to save her.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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