Islamabad-Beijing: Amid reports that militants had threatened to kill two Chinese engineers abducted in Pakistan, China's Foreign Minster Li Zhaoxing today (Oct 10, 2004) asked Islamabad to take all necessary measures to safely rescue them, saying the nation is "deeply concerned" over the hostage crisis.

Reports reaching here said, the captors of the two engineers working on the Gomal Zam Hydroelectric project have threatened to kill them unless Islamabad releases Al-Qaeda detainees.

The reports about the death threat came soon after the hostages, including a guard and a driver of Pakistani origin, were stated to be in safe custody.

Speaking to his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri over phone today, Li said that Chinese leaders, Government and people were deeply concerned over the abduction of two Chinese engineers.

Kasuri, who described Pakistan and China as friendly neighbours and the two engineers as "brothers" of the Pakistani people, said the Pakistani Government would do their best to rescue the engineers at any price, Xinhua news agency reported.

The abduction happened yesterday (Oct 9, 2004) near Jandala in Pakistan's South Waziristan Tribal Agency bordering Afghanistan.

Chinese Embassy in Pakistan had said, that Pakistani security forces and the kidnappers last night agreed on disengagement and they would resume negotiation on the release of the hostages today.