KARACHI: An antiterrorism court has ordered the investigating officer to initiate the process of proclamation of three suspects allegedly involved in murder of a Chinese dentist, as the law enforcers fail to track them down despite a lapse of one year.

Chinese dentist couple Dr Richard Hu and his wife Phen Teyin were wounded and their assistant Ronald Raymond Chou was shot dead by an unidentified assailant at their clinic on Preedy Street on Sept 27 last year.

Three detained accused persons - Waqar Ahmed alias Khadim, Nabeel Ahmed alias Nabeel Gabool and Wazeer Ali Khushk alias Mitho Khushk – along with their three absconding accomplices have been charged with wounding the Chinese Pakistani nationals and killing their nephew in the attack.

Their three alleged accomplices – Syed Ali Asghar Shah, Zulfiqar Khaskheli and Faraz Soomro – have been on the run for almost one year.

When the matter came up for hearing before ATC-XVI judge, the investigating officer of the case informed that repeated raids to arrest the fleeing trio had proved futile.

After recording his statement, the judge directed IO Inspector Zafar Abbas to initiate the process of proclamation and attachment of the properties of the three men on the run, as required under Sections 87 and 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The IO was told to submit a report on compliance of the court’s order till Sept 4.

According to the prosecution, an unknown assailant, wearing a surgical mask and pretending to be a dental patient, had come to the private dental clinic of Dr Hu, and opened fire with a 9mm caliber pistol.

Dr Hu and his wife Teyin had survived the attack by receiving bullet wounds, but their relative, who also worked with them as assistant, Chou had died on the spot, it added.

A Chinese couple, who held both Chinese and Pakistani nationalities, had been running their clinic on the ground floor of a British-era building for decades. They lived in the Park Lane area of Clifton while the victim lived in Cantt Karachi.

A case was lodged under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempt to murder), 334 (punishment for Itlaf-i-udw), 337-A(i) (Shajja), 337-F(vi) and 337-F(iii) (punishment for ghayr-jaifah), 34 (common intention) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with the Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the CID Civil Lines police station.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2023