Dr Wardah murder: Key suspect still on the run as arrested accused sent on physical remand

ABBOTTABAD: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday handed over the suspects arrested in the murder of Dr Wardah Mushtaq to police on a three-day physical remand, as public protests against the brutal killing continued across various parts of the province.

The post-mortem report of Dr Warda Mushtaq, who was murdered in Abbottabad, has confirmed that she was tortured and strangled to death

According to source, the prime suspect Rida’s husband, Waheed Balla, along with other detained suspects, was produced before the court.

Amid rising public anger, the district administration sealed all clothing shops owned by the Balla family in the city to prevent any untoward incident.

The key accused, Shamrez, still remains at large, further fuelling public resentment against the police.

Dr Wardah’s funeral prayers were offered at 10pm on Tuesday, after which she was laid to rest in a cantonment area graveyard.

A large number of hospital staff and residents accompanied the body to her home. The neighbourhood was engulfed in grief, with many people in tears; some fainted due to shock. Fellow doctors placed floral sheets on her grave.

DIG Hazara Police Nasir Mehmood Satti said the murder investigation was being conducted from all angles. He said that a special investigation team headed by DPO Haroon Rashid has already been formed.

He said the nominated suspects had been arrested, while separate teams were working to trace their facilitators.

“We will fulfil all legal requirements and ensure that the killers and their facilitators are brought to justice,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DPO removed Sub-Inspector Zubair Khan as SHO of Cantt Police Station and appointed Inspector Ali Jadoon in his place.

Provincial Health Minister Khaleequr Rehman visited the victim’s residence to offer condolences and assured the family of full government support.

He termed the killing a horrific tragedy and said the government was taking the matter extremely seriously. “The culprits will not escape justice,” he added.

The minister later visited the Benazir Teaching Hospital Abbottabad and met representatives of the doctors’ association. He said ensuring doctors’ safety was the government’s top priority, adding that healthcare workers were valuable assets.

He also confirmed that a JIT had been formed to conduct a transparent and professional investigation.

Doctors at the Benazir Shaheed Hospital observed a complete strike and attended a condolence reference, where doctors, nurses, paramedics and Class-IV staff prayed for the victim and demanded exemplary punishment for the killers.

Doctors at the Ayub Medical Complex staged a sit-in on the Silk Road, joined by nurses, paramedics and support staff.

Protesters chanted slogans against the district administration and police, demanding the arrest of the Cantt SHO and the DSP (Cantt).

Medical staff in Havelians and Lora also protested on the streets. In Mansehra, doctors, paramedics and nurses from upper Hazara observed a strike and suspended all medical services.

They staged demonstrations demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits. Staff from government hospitals in Mansehra, Torghar, Upper and Lower Kohistan, and Kolai-Palas also joined the strike.