"After the administration assured us they would close down the massage parlours in Islamabad, and in view of the Pakistan-China friendship, we are releasing all nine men and women," said Abdul Rashid Ghazi, deputy head of the mosque.

Students from the pro-Taliban Red Mosque raided the acupuncture and massage clinic, which they said was a brothel, early on Saturday kidnapping nine people, including six Chinese women.

"This is a natural reaction of students against vulgarity and obscenity. Foreign girls at the massage centre were having sinful acts with men," the students said before the hostages were released.