Probe says killed Chinese refused security cover

Pakistan's Interior Ministry has said that new evidence regarding the murder of two Chinese nationals by the militant Islamic State (IS) group in Quetta, Balochistan, reveals that the couple were offered security cover, but they refused to accept it.

"They were offered security, but they refused to accept the offer," the Dawn quoted the ministry, as saying.

Security and intelligence agencies have looked into the background of the incident and reviewed photographs of the kidnapped pair to reach their assessment.

Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26, were abducted by armed men pretending to be policemen on May 24 in Quetta. The Islamic State claimed last week that it had executed them.

The interior minister was earlier told that the Chinese couple had gone to Quetta to preach under the garb of learning Urdu from a Korean national, Juan Won Seo.

The ministry said that it was revealed during the investigation that Seo alias Gilbert came to Pakistan on a business visa, but set up an Urdu academy, and was "engaged in illegal activities".

It also emerged during the investigation that the two Chinese nationals had been taken into police custody from Quetta's Kharotabad area some time ago and were informed about threat to their security.