ABBOTTABAD: A female doctor posted at Benazir Bhutto Shaheed DHQ Teaching Hospital in Abbottabad has gone missing under unexplained circumstances, triggering protests and a complete strike by hospital staff.
Medical employees shut down outpatient services, claiming that Medical Officer Dr Wardah Mushtaq had been abducted. The protesting doctors demanded swift action from authorities to secure her safe return.
Hospital officials and family members said Dr Wardah disappeared two days ago after leaving the hospital with a close female acquaintance. Police later verified that she exited the premises with her friend, after which all contact was lost.
Mirpur police have taken the friend into custody for interrogation as part of the inquiry. Investigators are also questioning her husband and their driver to determine the sequence of events.
The Doctors Association has announced that all hospital services will remain suspended until the missing doctor is recovered.
Dr Wardah’s father, Mushtaq, has registered a formal case at Cantt Police Station. In his statement, he said his daughter had accompanied her friend Arda, wife of Waheed, to collect 67 tolas of gold that had been entrusted to her. He alleged that she failed to return afterward.
Police say the vehicle believed to have been used in the suspected incident has been seized and is currently parked at Cantt Police Station under the supervision of the station house officer.
Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation and are reviewing every possible angle. So far, they have not confirmed whether it is a case of abduction or another development.
Condemning the incident, the Young Doctors Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter described the disappearance of Dr Wardah Mushtaq, who serves as Female Casualty Medical Officer at the hospital, as deeply alarming. The association urged district officials and law enforcement agencies to ensure her immediate recovery and to take strict action against those responsible.
