CHINA STANDS BY PAK AFTER ITS CITIZENS KILLED BY ISIS

BEIJING /ISLAMABAD: China on Friday played down security concerns over its economic corridor passing through Pakistan after it emerged that two of its nationals were killed by Islamic State militants.

A Chinese man and a woman — teaching Mandarin in Balochistan, a region at the centre of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — were kidnapped from Quetta in May, triggering alarm in Beijing.

“According to information from Pakistan, they (the two) may have already been unfortunately killed,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a regular news briefing.

She said the incident would not have any impact on the security of projects being constructed under the CPEC.

IS claimed responsibility for the abduction-murder of the Chinese nationals though its Amaq news agency on Thursday.

“We strongly condemn all forms of terrorism and support Pakistan in its fight (against terror) and for peace and tranquillity in the region and beyond,” Hua said and clarified the two Chinese were not a “couple”.

PAK ARMY ASKED FOR MEDIA BLACKOUT

Pakistanis looking for news about the killing were surprised when they didn’t find any mention of the development in the country’s leading newspapers on Friday morning.

The issue was apparently blacked out after editors and reporters of the country’s Urdu and English dailies were told by the powerful security establishment not to carry any news on the killings.