Islamabad, July 9 (AP): China today condemned the killing of three Chinese mechanics in northwest Pakistan, urging authorities today to catch the culprits and protect its citizens.

President Musharraf sent condolences to Chinese leaders and pledged an “all-out” effort to punish those behind yesterday’s killing.

The three died when gunmen fired on them inside their auto-rickshaw workshop in the northwestern city of Peshawar. A fourth man was seriously wounded.

The Chinese embassy strongly condemned the attack, urging the Pakistan government to “investigate this, round up the culprits, properly handle the follow-up issues and take effective measures to protect all the Chinese in Pakistan”.

The embassy said its deputy chief, Mao Siwei, and other Chinese diplomats had gone to Peshawar to deal with the issue.