Attack on Chinese national: Factory owner, manager released after brief detention

KARACHI: In violation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with regard to security of foreigners, the owner and manager of the company – where Chinese outsourced their services – were arrested and released on personal surety bonds.

However, the law enforcement agencies failed to make any breakthrough in arresting the culprits involved in the attack on Chinese nationals.

In another development, the intelligence officers of Karachi Police have been directed to update the data of foreigners, particularly Chinese nationals, in order to avoid any untoward incident in future since they are on the radar of unscrupulous elements who are attempting to sabotage the CPEC project.

In the light of the violation of government’s instructions with regard to security of foreigners, an FIR No320/21 under Section 188 was registered on behalf of SHO Zawwar Hussain at SITE B Section Police Station against the textile factory owner and manager.

SHO Zawwar Hussain told The News that every factory or company was bound by rules to inform the home department and police if they invited, hired or outsourced foreigners, adding that the two Chinese nationals were outsourced for installation of a machine at the textile factory in SITE area.

He said that the Chinese nationals were on their way to the industrial unit on July 28 when they were attacked by unknown assailants. One of the Chinese nationals was wounded while the other remained unhurt.

He added that the factory owner Abdul Matin and manager Sheraz Khan were arrested for failing to inform the police regarding the foreigners’ visit to their industrial unit. Later, they were released on personal surety. Talking to The News, Zone South police chief DIG Javed Akbar Riaz explained, “There are already SOPs issued by the interior and provincial ministry regarding foreigners in our homeland but these two Chinese nationals landed in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad and later arrived in Karachi but no one informed the police about their arrival and made arrangements for their security,” adding that the reason to register a case against the factory owner and manager was to make them realize the gravity of the situation.

“This is a national issue and they had to inform the police as per the government’s instructions,” DIG Riaz asserted. The DIG South said that the data of Chinese nationals was being updated in the aftermath of the attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi. The police officers were tasked to compile and update the data of Chinese nationals.

Ironically, the incident unearthed the lack of coordination between the police and foreigners or their sponsors, who needed to inform the local police about their travel plan, including arrival, place of stay, duration of stay, purpose of arrival/ departure, movement and their security arrangements.

The police have registered a case against two unknown assailants under the terrorism clause and initiated further investigations. The case was registered at the SITE B Section Police Station on behalf of driver of the Chinese nationals. Police investigators have also conducted geo-fencing in the area where the Chinese national came under attack on Wednesday.

The complainant in the FIR also mentioned that the owners of the factory did not seek the security of Chinese nationals from the security zone and did not even inform the local police. Besides, no private security arrangements were made for their security.

District Keamari SSP Fida Hussain Janwari told The News that the Chinese nationals had arrived in Karachi on July 7 for maintenance of equipment at a factory in SITE area, but the factory management did not inform the police or any other authority regarding their presence nor had they arranged any private security at their house or workplace.

The police also clarified that the Chinese nationals were not working on any CPEC project. This was the fourth attack on Chinese nationals in the city during the current year. It is pertinent to mention that the Baloch Liberation Front had claimed the responsibility of the attack on the Chinese nationals in Karachi.