Simply paying ransom may send wrong mes sage

A video recently released by an extremist group allied to the Taliban shows a Chinese national resembling Hong Xudong, who was adducted by militants from the northwestern region of Pakistan in May 2014, seeking the Chinese government's help to get him released. The militants, however, have not cited an exact amount as ransom.

Hong entered Pakistan from India by bicycle in April last year, and was abducted a month later from Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Pakistan's tribal regions and are home to a number of militant groups.

The Chinese embassy in Pakistan has reportedly approached the Pakistani authorities to verify the man seen in the video, and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has issued directives to the Interior Ministry and other departments to coordinate for the early release of the Chinese national.