Pakistan Medical Association names groups who kill doctors over sect

More doctors need to come forward and give information leading to arrests.

KARACHI: An eight-member extortion group threatening doctors has been arrested, announced the president of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Dr Idrees Adhi at a press conference on Friday. The group is believed to have been involved in the target killing of nine doctors last year. A doctor from Marine Township, Landhi, informed the police about the group that called him asking him to pay up or face dire consequences. “While going to give them money, he took the police along and the gang was arrested,” Adhi said. “They have also confessed.”

However, doctors said the arrest is not enough. Others will have to come forward with more information. “This is just one instance when a doctor said ‘enough’ and went to the police. Mostly, the police complain that doctors do not want to give information about such groups.”

The extortion mafia has left no area untouched, Dr Adhi said. But he refuted the prevailing notion that political parties are backing groups. “In some areas, the mafia is using the name of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and in others they pose as Haqiqi workers. But so far there is no direct evidence of political backing or inclusion.”

He appealed that doctors should not fear the groups as this just emboldened the mafia. “If we are going to let ourselves be cornered, no one will listen to us.”

A doctor from the audience retorted, “How can you expect us to speak up when it is clear that we would be killed during a judicial inquiry?” Running away is also not an option, replied Dr Adhi. About 2,800 doctors have applied for character certificates from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to apply for work permits abroad, he pointed out to urge doctors to stay back and fight.

As for the target killings, Dr Adhi said that the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) claimed responsibility for killing three Shia doctors in May 2010. Similarly, a Shia group later claimed that it had killed another doctor.

These groups are named Mehdi and Firaun, and have from time to time claimed responsibility for killing Ahmadi or Sunni doctors. “The point is that the police knows and has reasons but it has still failed to arrest them. But it has to stop somewhere. And the doctors need to be brave enough to take the first step of informing the police.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2011.