{"id":33763,"date":"2009-02-15T14:14:58","date_gmt":"2009-02-15T21:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=33763"},"modified":"2009-02-15T14:14:58","modified_gmt":"2009-02-15T21:14:58","slug":"taliban-free-captive-chinese-engineer-in-pakistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2009\/02\/taliban-free-captive-chinese-engineer-in-pakistan\/","title":{"rendered":"Taliban Free Captive Chinese Engineer in Pakistan"},"content":{"rendered":"
In a gesture of goodwill to accompany their 10-day ceasefire with the Pakistani government, Taliban insurgents in northwestern Pakistan<\/a> on Saturday released Long Xiaowei, one of two Chinese engineers kidnapped in late August<\/a>.\u00a0 Long was the insurgents’ one remaining Chinese hostage after his fellow captive escaped in October<\/a>.\u00a0 From the International Herald Tribune<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n Pakistani officials on Sunday hammered out a peace deal with a Taliban-linked group<\/a> that could lead to the enforcement of elements of Islamic law in parts of the northwest, prompting militants in the blood-soaked Swat Valley<\/a> to declare a 10-day cease-fire as a goodwill\u00a0gesture.<\/p>\n [Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan] announced the militants had freed a Chinese engineer held captive for nearly six months as a positive gesture. Long Xiaowei \u2014 who was kidnapped in August \u2014 was freed Saturday, days before a planned visit to China by Pakistani President Asif Ali\u00a0Zardari.<\/p>\n Khan also announced the 10-day\u00a0cease-fire.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n