Target killing: Lyari hospital ENT specialist targeted on way to clinic

Dr Imran Wasi was shot down as his car slowed down on a speed breaker.

KARACHI: An ear, nose and throat specialist from Lyari General Hospital was gunned down near Lea Market on Thursday.

Dr Imran Wasi, 55, was heading to his clinic in Ranchore Line when he was killed. As his car slowed down over a speed bump, two men on a motorcycle shot him several times and hit his temple, cheek and shoulder.

He was taken to Lyari hospital, where the doctors pronounced him dead. Later, his body was taken for an autopsy to Civil Hospital, Karachi, where several members of his family had gathered.

Duty officer Muhammad Israr believed that this was not a case of snatching or theft as the doctor’s personnal belongings, such as wallet, mobile phone and his watch were not stolen. The investigations are still going on and nothing can be said for sure at the moment, he said.

Dr Wasi, a resident of Hamid Square in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block-3, had been working at Lyari General Hospital for the past 15 years. His family said that his murder was a case of target killing and the perpetrators wanted to target an Urdu-speaking doctor. “He never discussed any fears with me but he used to be worried,” said Dr Wasi’s brother, Rehan Wasi. “A lot of times, he hinted in passing that he wanted to have himself transferred from the Lyari hospital.”

Immediately after the murder, Rehan said he was very angry with the police. “There was utter chaos as these people [the police] had no clue what had happened,” he recalled. “Later on, I calmed myself because it is a known fact that the police are there just to fill registers after such incidents and cannot really nab the culprits.”

Rehan added that the police station was located only 100 yards away from the place where his brother was targeted. “There is a ban on pillion riding every other day but the killers are still roaming around freely without anyone taking notice of them,” he said.

The family of the victim has yet to lodge an FIR. Dr Wasi is survived by his wife.

Last year, six doctors were killed in Karachi in a month. Police Senior Superintendent Khurram Waris was deployed to investigate the killings of doctors. He admitted that he was “close to solving the case” but three months ago he was transferred to Orangi Town.

Doctors protest

Doctors have already been meeting through the Pakistan Medical Association over being targeted. But now they have decided to shut down the Out-Patients Department (OPD) of Civil hospital, Lyari General Hospital and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre to condemn the killing of Dr Wasi.

“We will only deal with emergency cases but our OPDs will remain closed,” said Dr Idrees Adhi, president of the PMA. The association is holding talks with the management of Qatar Hospital and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. “We have been pushed to the wall many times. There is a limit after which we will not tolerate anymore of this,” said Dr Samrina Hashmi, former general secretary of PMA.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (Pima) Karachi chapter president Dr Salman Ghouri summoned an urgent meeting at Pima House in which the participants condemned the murder and demanded the arrest of culprits.

They also asked the government to pay compensation to the doctor’s family. They also offered Surah Fateha for him.

Health minister condemns murder

Sindh Minister for Health Dr Sagheer Ahmad has also condemned the target killing of Dr Wasi. It is a conspiracy against doctors and paramedics, he said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The people of Lyari have been deprived of the services of an ENT specialist, who was an intelligent doctor and served people with zeal, said the minister. He gave his condolences to the family.

Additional input by PPI

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st,  2011.