Islamabad: The Pakistani Taliban on Thursday
claimed responsibility for the killing of a Chinese woman in
the northwestern city of Peshawar, saying she was shot dead in
retaliation for alleged atrocities by Chinese forces in
restive Xinjiang province.
Taliban spokesman Mohammad Afridi told the media that the
woman was killed to avenge "atrocities" by Chinese security
forces in Xinjiang, where 20 people died in violence earlier
this week.
Police in Peshawar have said they believe militants were
behind the killing of the Chinese woman and her Pakistani
companion in a crowded market in Peshawar on Tuesday.
Hua Jiang, the 42-year-old Chinese woman, was shot dead
with Suleman Shams, a student of the prestigious Government
College in Lahore.
Reports said the Chinese woman was a student of Beijing
University and was on a vacation in Peshawar. Shams was
apparently acting as her interpreter.
This was the second attack on Chinese nationals in
Peshawar in a little over four years.
Three Chinese men were killed in the city in July 2007.
China's Foreign Office has taken the incident seriously
and called on Pakistan to investigate the crime and spare no
effort in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
It also sought "credible measures" to ensure the safety
of Chinese institutions and nationals in Pakistan.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 02, 2012, 00:08