The Chinese embassy in Pakistan confirmed on Wednesday that two Chinese nationals were kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the country's southwest city of Quetta earlier in the day.

An official from the embassy said that they are trying to learn more details about the incident as well as about the abducted people, adding that they have urged Pakistan to rescue the abductees as quickly as possible.

The kidnappers forced the kidnapped Chinese man and woman into a vehicle at gunpoint and drove away, local media quoted the deputy inspector general of Quetta police as saying.

The two were returning from a restaurant when the incident happened in the Jinnah Town area of Quetta, capital of Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, local Urdu TV Aaj reported.

The kidnappers had initially attempted to take a second woman as well, but a passer-by helped her to escape, reports said.

The passer-by, Muhammad Zahir, was shot as he tried to prevent the abduction.

He told AFP he saw three men forcing a Chinese woman into a white car but she was resisting and crying.

"I stopped to observe the situation but they had forced the woman in the car by then and were pushing the man.

"So I rushed to them and asked what they were doing. One of them said, 'We are from the crime branch of the police and we are taking them for investigation' and I told them that they should not misbehave with people. Then the driver came out and shot me in my leg," the 35-year-old said.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri has directed police to search for the abductees, and a search operation has begun.

No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

Xinhua - AFP