Two Chinese nationals kidnapped from Quetta

Published May 24, 2017
A soldier stands guard near the site where two Chinese language teachers were kidnapped. —Reuters
A soldier stands guard near the site where two Chinese language teachers were kidnapped. —Reuters
Soldiers stand guard at the site where a Chinese couple was kidnapped in the neighbourhood of Jinnah town. —AFP
Soldiers stand guard at the site where a Chinese couple was kidnapped in the neighbourhood of Jinnah town. —AFP

Two Chinese nationals, a man and a woman, were kidnapped from the Jinnah Town area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, on Wednesday afternoon, DawnNews reported.

According to police, unknown abductors had forced the two foreigners into a vehicle at gunpoint and driven away.

“A Chinese couple was kidnapped from the neighbourhood of Jinnah town in Quetta today. The couple was running a Chinese language centre,” Acting Deputy Inspector General Police Aitzaz Goraya told AFP.

“When they left the language centre for lunch, they were dragged into a vehicle without number plates by three unknown men,” he said. The men then began firing weapons in the air to scare off onlookers.

One Chinese woman managed to escape and ran back to the centre, while a passer-by received a gunshot wound.

CCTV footage shows the car in which the Chinese nationals were abducted.─Security sources.
CCTV footage shows the car in which the Chinese nationals were abducted.─Security sources.

Passer-by Muhammad Zahir told AFP: “I was walking on the road when I saw three men forcing a Chinese woman in a white car and she was refusing and crying, I stopped to observe the situation but they had forced the woman in the car by then and were pushing the man.

“So I rushed to them and asked what they were doing. One of them said we are from the crime branch of the police and we are taking them for investigation and I told them that they should not misbehave with people, then the driver came out and shot me in my foot,” the 35-year-old said.

Goraya said, "We collected evidence from the spot and efforts are underway to recover the Chinese nationals unhurt."

Chinese state media confirmed the kidnappings, while deputy chief of mission in Islamabad Lijian Zhao said the embassy was working toward their release.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri suspended the concerned Deputy Superintendent of Police, the SHO of Jinnah Town and SHO Gwalmandi over their alleged negligence in connection with the kidnapping of the Chinese nationals.

The chief minister also directed the Inspector General of Police to prepare a standard operating procedure with regard to the security of foreign nationals residing in Balochistan.

Chinese interest in Balochistan has spiked in recent years after the announcement of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which plans to connect Pakistani ports to Mainland China.

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...