Abbottabad doctor kidnapped, murdered; governor seeks report as protests erupt

ABBOTTABAD: The kidnapping and brutal murder of a lady doctor from Abbottabad has triggered widespread outrage across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with Governor Faisal Karim Kundi seeking a detailed report from the provincial police chief and doctors shutting down health services in protest.

Governor Kundi said that he was “deeply shocked and angered” by the heinous killing of Dr Varda Mushtaq, a medical officer at the DHQ Hospital Abbottabad, calling the crime “unforgettable” and stressing the need for exemplary punishment for all those involved. He said he stood with the medical community and the victim’s family in their grief.

Body recovered from Thandiani ravine

According to police, Dr Varda was abducted last week and later murdered by what investigators describe as a “dangerous and organised criminal group” allegedly involved in kidnapping-for-ransom, drug trafficking and contract killings. Her body was recovered from a deep ravine in Abbottabad’s Thandiani hills, three days after she was reported missing.

The doctor had gone missing on November 5, when she left the DHQ Hospital with her friend Rida. Despite the involvement of three police stations and access to modern investigative tools, police initially failed to locate her.

A case was registered on the complaint of her father, after which investigators traced the chain of events that led to her abduction and murder.

Prime suspects arrested

Police have arrested the prime suspect, Rida, along with her husband Waheed Bilal. Investigators said that the couple acted in collaboration with a notorious local gang operating out of Lari Banota and Thandiani, which is said to be involved in drug trafficking, armed robberies and contract killings.

A facilitator named Nadeem has also been arrested, while police teams continue raids in Abbottabad and other districts to track down the gang leader and remaining members.

According to investigators, the suspects have confessed to their role in the crime.

Local sources said that the gang targeted Dr Varda to seize her gold jewellery through Rida, after which she was kidnapped, killed and her body dumped in the mountains.

A shop belonging to a trader accused of collaborating with the gang has been sealed. However, no action has yet been taken against those allegedly involved in jirga-style negotiations that helped the suspects evade arrest in the early days of the investigation.

Doctors shut OPDs, protest spreads

The incident has sparked anger among the medical community. On the call of the Provincial Doctors Association (PDA), OPDs and operation theatres at DHQ Abbottabad and DHQ Haripur remained completely shut on Monday.

PDA Chairman Dr Javed Iqbal, President Dr Sajjad Ahmed, Dr Shagufta Altaf, Dr Tahir Ingez, Dr Afra Kokab and paramedic leaders addressed a protest rally outside the hospital, strongly criticising the “traditional negligence” of the Abbottabad administration and demanding immediate arrests, a judicial commission and a government compensation package for the victim’s family.

An emergency meeting of civil society has been convened at DHQ Hospital Haripur on Tuesday morning. The PDA has announced that OPD services will remain suspended across the region until all demands are met.

Sit-in ends after assurances

In Abbottabad, doctors and civil society members also staged a sit-in at Fawara Chowk, which ended after the deputy commissioner and district police officer assured protesters of a transparent investigation and complete justice for the slain doctor.

Investigation ongoing

Police said that the case has “begun to unfold,” with the recovery of the body, arrest of key suspects and confessions recorded.

Meanwhile, search operations against the gang’s remaining members are under way both within Abbottabad and in surrounding districts.