Pakistan Cancels Registration for Firm Whose Chinese Missionaries Were Abducted and Killed by ISIS

By Leah Marieann Klett
China
The pair, identified by Pakistan authorities as Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26, were abducted by armed men pretending to be policemen on May 24 in Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan province. Reuters

After two Chinese missionaries were abducted and killed by Islamic State militants in Pakistan, the Middle Eastern country ordered the cancellation of visas for all people related to ARK Infotech Company, the two preachers' employer.

As reported, Lee Zingyang, 24, and Meng Lisi, 26, disappeared in May while working in Quetta, capital of Pakistan's impoverished Balochistan province. Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar later confirmed that the two Chinese nationals had been killed, and that ISIS had taken responsibility for their deaths.

Both Christians entered Pakistan after getting business visas as employees of ARK, and had stated that they were learning Urdu language from a South Korean Christian named Juan Won Seo, owner of the company.

Chinese media blamed the South Korean missionary for their deaths, accusing him of misleading the duo into preaching Christianity in a region influenced by radical Islam, and ordered him to leave the country.

Because the school and language exchange was "merely a front for conducting religious activities", Chinese media claimed that the death of Lee and Meng was "related to their activities spreading Christian teachings to members of the local Muslim community." The editorial in the Global Times said the killings were likely the outcome of a "conflict between South Korean missionary agencies and local terrorists".

According to China Christian Daily, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior released a report last week revealing the country had approved cancelling visas issued to foreign nationals associated with ARK Infotech Company.

"A spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior said that, as a first step, the ministry has canceled visas for all foreign nationals associated with ARK Info Tech, a Korean Company, and they have been asked to leave the country. It has also been decided to cancel the registration of the company," notes the report.

The report said, "(The Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali) Khan said the government must work on keeping visitors secure but also appeared to try to shift the blame for the security lapse onto the Chinese nationals, saying they should have informed the authorities of their activities.

"The Minister observed that it is highly unfortunate that a misuse of the terms of (the) business visa contributed to the unfortunate incident of abduction and subsequent murder of two innocent Chinese," the ministry said.

"To control with surety the practice of obtaining Pakistani visas by submitting fake credentials and adopting illegal measures, Chaudhry Nisar has also given approval to review the process of issuance of visas on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the scrutiny of credentials of applicants."

Reuters notes that the kidnapping was a rare crime against Chinese nationals in Pakistan, which has long had close ties to Beijing.

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