Islamabad tells foreign ministry that Islamic State has probably already murdered the two teachers, who were abducted last month
Pakistan has told China that two Chinese teachers kidnapped by Islamic State militants in Pakistan are likely dead, a foreign ministry spokeswoman in Beijing said on Friday, adding that the government was trying to get more details. Islamic State has claimed that its fighters killed the two teachers, who were kidnapped on May 24 in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province, where China is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects. The two, a man and a woman, were kidnapped in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, by armed men pretending to be policemen. “According to the most recent information Pakistan has provided, these two kidnapped Chinese citizens have most probably already been murdered, ” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. Beijing was trying to verify this information and ascertain details about the victims, she added. “China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns all forms of terrorism, and supports Pakistan’s efforts to fight terrorism and maintain domestic security and stability, ” Hua said. Pakistan had gone all out in its rescue efforts and promised to continue to do its utmost to protect Chinese citizens, she added. The kidnapping was a rare security incident involving Chinese nationals in Pakistan, where Beijing has pledged US$57 billion under its massive “Belt and Road Initiative” to build rail, road and power infrastructure. China says Pakistan, a long-time political and military ally, is a major part of its plans to build a modern day Silk Road of land and maritime routes to connect Asia with Africa and Europe.
