A place called home: Kidnapped doctor recovered

Dr Amjid Taqweem was kept in a deserted house in Ali Masjid area of Jamrud.

PESHAWAR/ JAMRUD:

Dr Amjid Taqweem, who was kidnapped three weeks ago from Hayatabad, Peshawar, was recovered on Saturday from Ali Masjid area of Jamrud tehsil in Khyber Agency.

A political administration official wishing to remain anonymous confirmed the recovery of the kidnapped doctor. He said the political administration of Jamrud, under the supervision of Additional Political Agent Jahangir Azam Wazir raided a home in Angoor Ada, in Ali Masjid. The officials managed to safely recover Taqweem.

Dr Amjid Taqweem is a rheumatologist and heads the Medical-C unit of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar – one of the largest public sector hospitals of the province. He resides in Hayatabad Township and was whisked away on the night of December 3 as he stepped out of a mosque in the neighbourhood.

Doctors with borders

Taqweem’s abduction made senior doctors more apprehensive; many are now contemplating relocating to Islamabad or other countries amid increasing incidents of kidnapping for ransom.



After he was taken, doctors associations protested and boycotted outpatient departments (OPD) in all public sector hospitals of the province and shutdown their private clinics in a bid to pressurise the government into devising a security policy, and recovering their colleagues. Prior to Taqweem, Dr Mujahid Bangash and Dr Kamran Khan were also kidnapped – the latter was released late November.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Taqweem’s brother Arshad confirmed he reached home around 11am on Saturday.

Arshad said the doctor’s condition was not well and he is not in a position to meet or talk to anyone.

Health Employees Coordination Council (HECC) thanked the political administration of Khyber Agency after Taqweem’s recovery. An official of the council revealed, according to initial reports, the doctor was recovered by security forces in Khyber Agency. He added, however, full details of Taqweem’s recovery will surface in a few days time.

Talking about steps needed to ensure doctors’ security, the HECC official said representatives of the council will meet Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai and discuss the issue.

Still, a sense of insecurity prevails in the doctors’ community, and they are worried about their lives and jobs, added the official.

Meanwhile, a security official said Dr Taqweem was being kept in a deserted house – on Saturday morning, security forces raided the house and recovered him. Around 20 suspects were also arrested in the raid, shared the official.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2013.