Chinese citizen was shot dead in a dental clinic located on one of the busiest streets of Karachi’s main bazaar Sadar On Wednesday.
At least two other Pakistanis of Chinese origin were also injured in the attack.
According to police officials and eyewitnesses, the incident took place on Wednesday afternoon at Ho Dental Clinic, one of the Chinese dental clinics located on Priddy Street (also known as Liaquat Highway) near Empress Market.
They said that a man had allegedly come to the clinic for treatment where 32-year-old Ronald Raymond Chu, 50-year-old owner Richard and his wife Fan Tiang, 45, were present.
All three are Pakistanis of Chinese origin.
Authorities and witnesses said a man seeking treatment allegedly pulled out a handgun and allegedly opened fire.
As a result of the attack, Chu was shot in the neck and died on the spot while Richard and Tiang were injured. Richard was shot in the stomach with the bullet still lodged in his body. Tiang was also shot but the bullet exited his body.
Immediately after the incident, the police reached the spot and cordoned off the area.
Both the injured were rushed to Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center (JPMC). After his health stabilized and medical procedures completed, he was transferred to Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) for further treatment.
Chou’s body was shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).
The police said that preliminary investigation revealed that at least two people were involved in the attack.
He added that they were getting footage recorded from closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed around the clinic which initially showed the assailants fleeing on a motorcycle. .
Police officials added that they have also recovered seven bullet fragments from the crime scene which will be sent to the forensic lab for further investigation.
Officials said they have sealed the crime scene and registered a case of assault.
Moreover, they have started using advanced technology to trace possible suspects.
The attacker was wearing western clothes.
HU Dental Clinic employee Shahid said that on Wednesday afternoon, a man arrived at the shop wearing pants and a shirt.
Shahid said that since the door of the clinic was locked from inside, the doorman was asked to close the door and ask what the man wanted.
The man told the concierge that he had some dental problems and needed help. The doorman then allowed the man to enter the clinic.
“The attacker came inside the shop and sat down at the reception,” said Shahid, “The man scanned the shop for a while and then went out for a while.”
When the man re-entered the store, he pulled out a gun and started shooting.
Shahid added that their establishment is spread over two floors, with a clinic on the ground floor and a laboratory on the top floor. He said 15-20 people work at the clinic at a time and most of the workers were present at the time of the attack.
He added that several employees, most of whom are locals of non-Chinese origin, were in the shop at the time of the attack, but the attacker only shot the owner, his wife and Chow.
The victims kept themselves safe
Yasser, who worked with the clinic run by Richard, said the establishment was about 40-45 years old.
“The owners were polite to their neighbors, always respectful to everyone,” she said, adding that they mostly kept to themselves.
Asked if he saw anything else about the incident, Yasser said his first instinct when he heard the gunshots was to go outside to see what happened.
He added that then a man working at the attacked clinic rushed in and asked someone to call the police and an ambulance.
Yasir said that when they found out the reason, the man said that someone had shot his boss and fled.
Victims were targeted.
District South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Sharjeel Kharal told that the staff were inside the clinic around 13-14 when the lone assailant opened fire.
He added that the assailant targeted the staff of Chinese origin and then escaped.
The official said that the victims are of both Chinese and Pakistani nationalities, including CNIC.
He added that the police are working on getting CCTV footage from a two-km radius around the clinic to better identify and trace the suspects.
DIG Kharl added that the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) will register a case in the incident.
Home Minister take note.
Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah took notice of the attack on the Chinese dental clinic in Karachi on Wednesday.
He has sought the report of the attack from the provincial chief secretary.
Condemning the attack, he said he would increase security for Chinese citizens.
Describing such incidents as intolerable, he expressed his resolve that the accused would be arrested soon.
