From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Thursday arrested a suspected member of an outlawed outfit, possibly foiling a plot to murder a Chinese dentist in Hyderabad.
The accused, Mohammad Afzal Loond, also known as Aafi, was picked up in a CTD operation near Kamran Chaurangi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.
According to a CTD officials, Loond is a member of the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA), a banned militant outfit and is accused of planning to target a Chinese doctor in Hyderabad.
The law enforcers recovered a handgun and a motorbike from the suspect. It was revealed during the investigation that the suspect was in direct contact with the SRA’s exiled leader Zulfiqar Khaskheli, also known as Safeer who, according to the suspect, was supporting him financially.
The suspect also informed the CTD investigators that he used the money sent to him by Khaskheli to buy the pistol and motorcycle.
Khaskheli had ordered Loond to kill a Chinese dentist in Hyderabad and he had also recced the target, the CTD said quoting the suspect, adding that the suspect was however arrested before he could execute the plan.
The CTD spokesman also said that the suspect was a fellow of the suspects that attacked a Chinese dental clinic in Karachi.
In September, an armed attacker posing as a dental patient killed a Chinese-Pakistani dual national and injured two others at a clinic run by one of the victims, according to the police.
The victims, identified as Dr Richard Hu, Margrate Hu and Ronald, were all Chinese-Pakistani dual nationals.
Chinese nationals have been targeted by militants in recent years, and their attacks have picked up pace recently — most notably an attack on Chinese teachers at Karachi University earlier this year.
Earlier in June, Shehbaz had assured the Chinese delegation the Pakistan would continue to support Chinese investors with competitive incentives, access to high-quality infrastructure and unwavering security arrangements.
“The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to enhanced measures for safety, security and protection of the Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in the country,” a PMO’s statement read.
“Pakistan stands ready to work closely with China for realising t shared vision of connectivity, prosperity and public well-being,” Shehbaz said. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to early completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Central Committee on Foreign Affairs, had arrived in Pakistan on a two-day visit and held separate meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
