New Zealand authorities were last night waiting to hear from the country's honorary consul in Pakistan about the well-being of a 35-year-old man detained by security forces.
The New Zealander, identified on his passport as Mark Taylor, was detained at a paramilitary checkpoint on the outskirts of Tank,about 280km southwest of Islamabad, which is the gateway to South Waziristan.
He was reportedly trying to enter an al Qaeda and Taleban militant stronghold on the Afghan border and Pakistani intelligence officials suspected he might have links with Islamist militants.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said New Zealand's honorary consul in Pakistan had been informed of the arrest.
He was liaising with the closest New Zealand embassy in the region, which was in Tehran, Iran.
She said the ministry was unlikely to receive any further advice on Mr Taylor's situation until late last night.
Next of kin had been informed of the detention but the spokeswoman would not say where Mr Taylor's family were or where he had lived while in New Zealand.
It was not known when he was detained and the spokeswoman was unable to confirm media reports that Mr Taylor also held an Australian passport.
The top Pakistani Government administrator in Tank, Barkatullah Khan, said Mr Taylor told the soldiers who detained him that he was going to South Waziristan to get married.
"He was travelling in a passenger van. He has a beard and was wearing a shalwar kameez as a disguise," Mr Khan said, referring to a traditional baggy trousers and tunic outfit worn by men.
Western countries are worried some of their citizens, in particular young men of Pakistani descent, who support the militant cause might travel to northwest Pakistan for militant training and to plot violence.
While some Westerners of Asian descent have been known to travel to Pakistan to join militants, very few Westerners with European roots are known to have gone there for that purpose.
South Waziristan is one of Pakistan's ethnic Pashtun tribal regions that have long been off-limits for foreigners without special permission.
