Chinese Couple Abducted in Pakistan Have Been Killed, Officials Say

2017-06-13 15

Chinese Couple Abducted in Pakistan Have Been Killed, Officials Say
The minister said that while the government was trying to ensure security for foreigners in Pakistan, the "visiting foreigners were equally bound to abide by the terms
and conditions of their visas and inform local authorities about their movements and activities." At least 70,000 visas were issued to Chinese citizens last year, according to the Pakistani Interior Ministry.
By SALMAN MASOODJUNE 12, 2017
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Two Chinese citizens abducted last month in southwestern Pakistan have been killed, a senior
Pakistani official said on Monday, though he did not indicate who was responsible for their killings.
Last month, the Islamic State said it had carried out a suicide bombing in Mastung, in the same province where the Chinese couple were abducted,
that killed at least 25 people and wounded 30, including Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, deputy chairman of the Pakistani Senate.
The presence of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in Pakistan is a delicate subject for the government,
which has long played down the group’s activities in southwestern Pakistan despite new attacks.
The official, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, said in a statement
that the Chinese couple — Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26 — had been kidnapped in the city of Quetta on May 24 by unknown gunmen.
Last week, the Islamic State claimed that its fighters had kidnapped
and killed Mr. Lee and Ms. Meng, according to a statement issued by the extremist group’s news agency, Amaq.