Anti-quackery: Doctors uneasy after colleague evades kidnapping attempt

Medical practitioners believe the incident was in retaliation to investigations against quacks.

KARACHI: Medical practitioners in the city have expressed unease after the recent attempt to kidnap the general secretary of the anti-quackery committee of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, in the limits of Keamari police station on Monday night.

“Most doctors face extortion threats regularly but the recent incident involving Dr Shoro is the outcome of our efforts against quackery,” said the committee’s president Dr Abdul Aziz Tank.

Dr Shoro was on his way home at around 10:30pm from Keamari when three unidentified motorcyclists tried to stop his car. He managed, however, to escape. An application to investigate the matter has been submitted to the Keamari police station.

“Initially, they tried to intercept my car near my clinic but they failed to do so. The second attempt was unexpected as a few people came in front of my car to try to block my way. Fortunately, I was able to make my way through them and managed to escape,” said Dr Shoro.

An investigation into the incident is underway while the doctors, including Dr Shoro, believed that the kidnapping attempt was in retaliation to his investigation against quacks operating in the city.

“Our fellows are under threat. We condemn it and demand the government to immediately arrest the culprits,” said Dr Qazi Wasiq of the PMA.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2014.