Monday, October 18, 2004
Wen Jiabao urges Pakistan to protect Chinese nationals
BEIJING: China has asked Pakistan to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in the country after the killing of one hostage during an operation in South Waziristan the other day.
In a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz late Thursday, Premier Wen Jiabao asked the Pakistani government to adopt "effective" measures to guarantee the safety of Chinese nationals, the People’s Daily newspaper said.
"The Chinese government strongly condemns this terrorist act involving the kidnapping of Chinese citizens. We hope both sides can cooperate closely to properly handle the aftermath," Wen told Aziz, according to the report.
"The Pakistani government took action under very difficult circumstances," Aziz was quoted saying.Meanwhile, a Chinese government team leaves for Pakistan on Friday to investigate the kidnap and ill-fated rescue of two Chinese engineers.
One of the engineers held hostage by al Qaeda-linked militants was killed on Thursday and his colleague rescued in a commando assault that killed their five kidnappers. "The team will convey the condolences from the leadership of the Communist Party of China and from the State Council to the victims and Chinese personnel in Pakistan," Xinhua news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry source as saying.
The spokesman said the captors had released the Pakistani driver and the police guard early Thursday morning while all the efforts of Jirga and the local people for the safe release of Chinese had failed.
In a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz late Thursday, Premier Wen Jiabao asked the Pakistani government to adopt "effective" measures to guarantee the safety of Chinese nationals, the People’s Daily newspaper said.
"The Chinese government strongly condemns this terrorist act involving the kidnapping of Chinese citizens. We hope both sides can cooperate closely to properly handle the aftermath," Wen told Aziz, according to the report.
"The Pakistani government took action under very difficult circumstances," Aziz was quoted saying.Meanwhile, a Chinese government team leaves for Pakistan on Friday to investigate the kidnap and ill-fated rescue of two Chinese engineers.
One of the engineers held hostage by al Qaeda-linked militants was killed on Thursday and his colleague rescued in a commando assault that killed their five kidnappers. "The team will convey the condolences from the leadership of the Communist Party of China and from the State Council to the victims and Chinese personnel in Pakistan," Xinhua news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry source as saying.
The spokesman said the captors had released the Pakistani driver and the police guard early Thursday morning while all the efforts of Jirga and the local people for the safe release of Chinese had failed.
posted by Agent Akce, 2:32 AM