Medics protest killing: Body of doctor kidnapped 3 weeks ago found

HYDERABAD:

The body of Dr Imdad Ali Soomro, who was kidnapped from Jamshoro district over three weeks ago, was found near Thermal Power House early Friday morning.

According to the Jamshoro SHO, his body bore slight marks of torture, but the cause of death will be established after the post-mortem report from Civil Hospital, Hyderabad. The deceased suffered from diabetes and hypertension, and it is believed that deteriorating health during his captivity may have caused his death.

Dr Soomro, a resident of Mehran University's employees housing society, was kidnapped while returning from his Muslim Town clinic in Kotri taluka. Police sources claim that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs20 million from his family.

Dr Soomro was a Chandka Medical College (CMC) graduate and had served as a medico-legal officer at Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Larkana, for many years until he was transferred in 2000.

Following the incident, Jamshoro SSP Wasee Hyder moved police teams to Balochistan's Jaffarabad district, where four suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnapping. The suspects include two police constables, Muhammad Ali and Hakim Baloch, from the Balochistan police.

The FIR for the kidnapping was registered against unknown suspects at Kotri police station. The deceased doctor's son, Major Tanveer Imdad Soomro, a serving officer in the Pakistan Army, is pursuing the case with the police.

Doctors boycott OPDs, classes

Senior and junior doctors also boycotted classes at CMC. Meanwhile, Larkana doctors boycotted their OPD duties to protest their colleague's murder under the banner of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Larkana chapter.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2014.