Police in Abbottabad have recovered the body of Dr. Warda Mushtaq, a young doctor who had been missing since Thursday. Her disappearance had sparked widespread concern across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, leading to protests from the medical community and urgent demands for action. The tragic discovery was made on Monday in the forests of Thandiyani, bringing the four-day search to a heartbreaking end.
Body Found in Forest; Multiple Suspects Arrested
According to police officials, Dr. Mushtaq’s body was located in a wooded area near Thandiyani and has since been shifted to a hospital for a postmortem examination. Soon after the recovery, police arrested three individuals connected to the case: the doctor’s friend, her friend’s husband, and her driver.
Dr. Mushtaq, who served at Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital, went missing on Thursday, triggering immediate concern among her colleagues. Leaders of the Provincial Doctors Association and the Grand Health Alliance staged a protest and announced a boycott of hospital duties. They warned that if she was not found by Monday, demonstrations would spread to hospitals throughout Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
With news of the doctor’s death, anger erupted among the hospital staff. Medical professionals blocked the main Karakoram Highway (KKH) from Fawara Chowk, accusing the police of failing to act swiftly and forcefully during the early stages of the investigation.
FIR Reveals Financial Disputes and Suspicious Circumstances
A first information report (FIR), filed by Dr. Mushtaq’s father under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code, states that she left the hospital with the wife of a well-known businessman before heading to Jadoon Plaza in Mandian. It was after this outing that all contact with her was lost.
The FIR also detailed a financial dispute between Dr. Mushtaq and her friend. In 2023, the doctor had given her friend 67 tolas of gold for safekeeping before departing for Dubai. Upon returning, she demanded the gold back, but the suspect allegedly continued to avoid her.
Police have begun proceedings against all three suspects named in the FIR. Meanwhile, the friend at the center of the case submitted a petition to the district police officer (DPO), claiming she had already returned the gold to Dr. Mushtaq on the day she disappeared. She further alleged that the doctor had borrowed Rs8.3 million from her and provided five cheques as security. The suspect insisted she had no involvement in the incident and only learned of the doctor’s death while attending a wedding.
The suspects have labeled the allegations a conspiracy aimed at damaging the reputation of the businessman’s family and urged the DPO to conduct an impartial investigation so that “real facts can emerge.”
KP Governor Orders Inquiry, Promises Justice
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed deep sorrow over the doctor’s death and directed authorities to submit a detailed report. Calling the case a “serious and unforgettable incident,” he vowed that all individuals responsible for the crime would be punished.
He also extended condolences to Dr. Mushtaq’s family and the medical community, stating, “As the governor, I share the grief of the doctors’ community across the province and the family of the martyred doctor.”
The investigation is ongoing, with police expected to release further details following the autopsy and interrogation of suspects.
