China-Pakistan dual nationals attacked: CTD registers case against members of banned separatist outfit

KARACHI: A case of attacking Chinese-Pakistani dual nationals in Saddar area of Karachi was registered at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Sindh Police under other provisions of murder, attempt to murder and Anti-Terrorism Act against the members of banned separatist outfit Sindhu Desh People’s Army, a sub-group of separatist organisations of Sindh and Balochistan.

The case of attacking Chinese dental clinic on Preedy Street, Saddar, within the limits of Preedy Police Station on Wednesday evening has been registered as state complaint with the CTD on Thursday against the masterminds and other facilitators of the separatist terrorist organisations of the Sindh and Balochistan.

According to the FIR, the Sindhi separatist group Sindhu Desh Revolutionary Army had claimed the responsibility on social media for the blast. “I received information about an attack by an intelligence officer, while I was on routine patrol in the area,” complainant of the case SHO Preedy Police Station said. “The body of the Chinese-Pakistani dual national cashier at the dental clinic and two others were being rushed to hospital, when I reached there.”

The police official further stated that the terrorist posing as a dental patient entered the clinic around 4:10pm to 4:15pm, having light beard, wearing a red-cap and a dark shirt with a trouser apparently, seemed to be a Sindhi or Baloch speaking person. “The assailant asked for the treatment and stayed at the waiting area for sometime as the doctor, his wife and a cashier were busy at their work,” he said. “After five minutes, he moved towards doctor’s cabin and opened fire at them.”

Later the assailant easily walked away, where his companion wearing pants shirt was already waiting for him on a motorcycle to escape from the scene. According to the FIR, Sindu Desh People’s Army, a sub-terrorist group of two separatist terrorist organisations of Sindh and Balochistan, has claimed the responsibility on social media for the attack. Following the incident, the police have taken the custody of CCTV footage of the clinic and nearby shops that showed the arrival and escape of the assailants.

Meanwhile, the police investigators have obtained four empty shells of a 9mm pistol from the crime scene. “With the CCTV footage, we are also looking for the geo-fencing, ballistics cross matching as well as recording statements of the witnesses,” said a police investigator anonymity. He further said, “Also, questioning the suspects, belonging to the separatist organizations, arrested in the past for recent terror activities in Karachi to get help in probing a case.”

There are around 27 dental clinics are located on the Preedy Street from the decades, of which six belong to the Chinese nationals. “Of these six of the Chinese dental clinics, mostly of them are being operated by the locals,” said Salman, who worked at one of the dental clinics on Preedy Street. “The Chinese-Pakistani dual national dentist is known as the ‘Lion of the Saddar’ because of his expertise in his work,” he said that the injured doctor was from the third generation as earlier, this clinic was being run by his grandfather and then by his father.

“He has one daughter in Canada and one son in America and they don’t pay visit to Pakistan but the parents used to visit them. Some three months ago, doctor and his wife had returned after visiting their daughter,” the neighbouring dentist explained. “Who knows, the doctor will join or leave the clinic.” He said the injured doctor had number of properties in Karachi and the police must have to check this angle of investigations.

The dental clinics on the Preedy Street have been working as per routine on Thursday as all are opened as per scheduled, where the patients are paying visits; however, the doctors and the staff at these clinics seemed worried. “This is the busiest street of Karachi. One mobile van should be stationed there, especially in the rush hours,” said a staff working at another clinic. “This unfortunate incident could not be happened if a mobile van was stationed there and even if it happened so the law enforcers could have arrest them.”