18 October 2004	Monday	03 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 17: Speakers at a reference here on Sunday condemned the kidnapping and killing of Chinese surveyor Wang Peng and said such incidents won't impact on the time-tested Pakistan-China friendship , as it was not a friendship between the two governments but between the peoples of the two countries.

The meeting was organised by Pakistan Muslim League (PML) at the PML House to express solidarity with the Chinese nation on the killing of Mr Peng.

The participants said Islam had no connection with terrorists and those who killing innocent people and shattering peace were the enemy of Islam, humanity and Pakistan.

Islam, they said, was a religion of peace, universal love and brotherhood and respect, and the people of Pakistan were well aware of it. The masses here, they said, loved and respected the Chinese people since independence, therefore, the killing of the Chinese surveyor had ignited anger and hatred among them against the terrorists.

The party's secretary-general, Senator Mushahid Hussain, said from Karakoram Highway to Gomal Zam dam project and from Chashma Right Bank Canal to Gwadar project the Chinese experts and manpower had been rendering immense sacrifices for the economic development of Pakistan. China, he said, had been playing a proactive role in the development of the country.

Deputy Chief of the embassy of China Mr Song termed the abductors of the Chinese engineers "animals" and "inhuman" and said they were against Islam and Pakistan.