"Doctors dole out extortion regularly to unidentified people for protection, some have gone on leave to other countries in fear of such occurrences," PDA Chairman Dr Shah Sawar Khan. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
Doctors associations on Thursday condemned the silence of the provincial government over the increasing number of medical professionals who have been abducted for ransom in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Earlier in the year, several doctors were also gunned down in targeted attacks.
Presiding over a general body meeting of various associations at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) Chairman Dr Shah Sawar Khan noted two doctors had been kidnapped months ago with no action taken for their safe recovery.
Dr Kamran Amir Khan was employed at North West Hospital when he was abducted early October and Dr Mujahid Bangash was serving as Frontier Region Peshawar Agency Surgeon when he was taken at gunpoint in September. Dr Shah also pointed out the recent abduction attempt on Dr Hameed who managed to escape but was wounded in the process.
Many doctors at clinics dole out extortion regularly to unidentified people for protection, stated the PDA chairman. Senior doctors continue to receive threatening letters and have gone on leave to other countries in fear of such occurrences, added Shah.
The general body meeting included PDA, Malgari Doctoran, Islamic Medical Association, Muslim Doctors Association and People Doctors Forum. The doctors associations also passed a unanimous resolution: “We strongly condemn the recent abduction of Dr Mujahid Bangash and Dr Kamran Amir Khan and the abduction attempt on Dr Abdul Hameed.”
They demanded the government ensure the immediate and safe recovery of the abducted doctors and asked for a judicial enquiry under the chairmanship of the Peshawar High Court chief justice to identify the culprits and fix responsibility.
The general body agreed to give the K-P government one week to come up with a “clear-cut policy” on the abduction of the two doctors and overall security of medical professionals.
A broad-based committee was constituted to follow up the issue with the government and security apparatus. The committee is also meant to work on heightening security of all doctors in public and private sectors and to devise an ‘action and reaction’ plan in case of violence against doctors in the future.
“We strongly condemn the FIR against a house officer at Khyber Teaching Hospital and demand the government to devise a policy so no FIRs can be lodged against any doctor during their services,” stated the resolution. The resolution was unanimously passed by the general body.
On October 3, unidentified armed men kidnapped Dr Kamran Amir Khan from Hayatabad near his residence. The doctor hailed from Dar Mangi, Warsak Road.
Late night September 14, Dr Mujahid Hussain was kidnapped from Hayatabad. Hussain and his cousin Shoaib Nabi left their house in Hayatabad Phase II and did not return. His brother Iftikhar Hussain speculated the doctor had been abducted in a case of mistaken identity, confused with Dr Syed Mujahid Hussain the brother of late Dr Riaz Hussain, who was gunned down in Dabgari Gardens earlier in January.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th,2013.
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