A senior official of the United Nations refugee agency, American John Solecki, has been kidnapped in the western Pakistani city of Quetta, police say.
He is the regional head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Police said gunmen stopped his vehicle on his way to work, seizing him and killing his driver, a local man.
Quetta is capital of Balochistan, where insurgents have been fighting for more autonomy. The Taleban are also active in the area, which borders Afghanistan.
Senior police official Khalid Masood said the kidnapped official was American John Solecki, who "has been serving in Quetta for more than two years".
"We cannot speculate on the motive behind the crime," he told Associated Press news agency.
The UN has confirmed that an official with the UNHCR had been kidnapped, but did not reveal the official's name or nationality, pending notification of his relatives.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
Quetta police official Wazir Khan Nasir told Reuters news agency that the gunmen had taken the official with them "after shooting his driver".
The man, a Pakistani, later died in hospital.
Television pictures from the scene of the incident showed a vehicle belonging to the UNHCR rammed against a wall. At least one bullet hole was visible on the wall.
Quetta is the capital of Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan.
The UNHCR has been working for years in Quetta with refugees from Afghanistan.
There has been low level insurgency in Balochistan driven by groups wanting more autonomy for the energy-rich province.
Taleban groups have also been active in the region.
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