On tenterhooks: Doctor, son kidnapped

HYDERABAD: A doctor of the Hyderabad Police Line and his son were kidnapped late on Tuesday night while on their way home from their land in Bhitt Shah.

The police suspect a notorious dacoit of Sanghar, said Mitiari SSP Manzoor Khatyan. SP Headquarters Amjad Shaikh told Sindh Express that the Hyderabad police were hopeful they would find the hostages soon. The doctor is 53 years old. The police found his car at Hatri police station, near Hyderabad city.

The kidnapping of doctors has become a high-profile crime, with the latest tragedy being the botched rescue of neurologist Dr Aftab Qureshi this year in Hyderabad. At least five doctors have been kidnapped since 2011 and released after hefty ransom amounts were secretly paid. The Pakistan Medical Association has repeatedly demanded the government take action to stop this trend.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2012.