Two Chinese nationals working in Pakistan were kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Wednesday in Quetta, southwest Pakistan, a provincial government spokesman said.
Samaa Web Desk Photo
The kidnappers forced the abductees into a vehicle at gunpoint and drove away, local media quoted the deputy inspector general of Quetta police as saying.
"A Chinese couple has been kidnapped and their personal guard was injured during the incident," said Anwarul Haq Kakar, a spokesman for Baluchistan Province, of which Quetta is the capital.
The two, both Chinese language teachers, were returning from a restaurant when the incident happened.
Pakistani soldiers stand guard at the site where the Chinese couple was kidnapped in the neighborhood of Jinnah town in Quetta on May 24, 2017. /VCG Photo
The kidnappers initially tried to take away three Chinese – two women and a man – but a passerby helped one of the women escape, local reports suggest.
Razza Cheema, Quetta police chief, confirmed the attack and said another Chinese woman narrowly evaded the kidnappers outside a language center in Jinnah, on the outskirts of the city near Quetta's international airport.
"Armed men took the couple into custody at gunpoint when they were coming out from the center," Cheema said.
The passerby, injured in a shootout, has been shifted to a nearby hospital where police have taken his statement.
A Pakistani man injured during the kidnapping of a Chinese couple receives medical treatment at a hospital in Quetta on May 24, 2017. /VCG Photo
China's ambassador to Pakistan has called on Pakistani officials to rescue the abductees as quickly as possible. Chinese authorities had previously urged Islamabad to improve security, especially in Baluchistan, where China is building a new port and funding roads as part of the 57 billion US dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that will connect western China with Pakistan's Arabian Sea coast.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri took notice of the incident and has directed police to search for the abductees. A search operation has been kicked off in the area.
He also ordered the introduction of a standard operating procedure to ensure the security of foreigners working in the province.
Pakistani soldiers stand guard at the site where the Chinese couple was kidnapped in Quetta on May 24, 2017. /VCG Photo
On his direction, a heavy contingent of police officers has been deployed at all entry and exit points of the city.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, but in the past Islamist militant groups have kidnapped foreigners in Pakistan for ransom or publicity for their cause.
(Source: Reuters, Xinhua)
