Islamabad: Chinese diplomatic missions in Pakistan have sought extra security following an intelligence alert that an al-Qaeda affiliated militant group plans to kidnap senior diplomats of the communist country.
In a letter to the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese diplomats expressed concern over the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) militants' plan to kidnap Chinese officials and sought round-the-clock patrolling of their mission in Islamabad and the consulate general in Karachi.
The ETIM is a separatist organisation in the Xinjiang province of China, and seeks independence on grounds of Islamic identity.
Pakistan's intelligence agencies had submitted reports to the Interior Ministry saying that a group of terrorists had arrived in Rawalpindi and Islamabad but had been unable to select an appropriate target for kidnapping because of enhanced security.
The terrorists had travelled to Jalalabad in Afghanistan to deliberate their future plans, Daily Times newspaper quoted intelligence officials as saying.
The Interior Ministry has issued directives to the inspectors general of police of the four provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory to hunt down the ETIM members.
"Security around the Chinese Embassy and residences of Chinese diplomats had been tightened," senior superintendent of Police, Diplomatic Protection Department, Tariq Masood Yaseen said.
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