ABBOTTABAD: District Police Officer (DPO), Abbottabad, on Tuesday removed Sub-Inspector Zubair Khan from the position of Station House Officer (SHO), Cantonment, as the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) granted a three-day physical remand of the three accused in the murder case of Dr Warda Mushtaq to the police for further investigation.
The inclusion of Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) in the FIR underscores the severity and public impact of the crime.
However, despite the latest arrests, the prime suspect, Shamariz, remains at large, fueling mounting public outrage and putting additional pressure on police. His nephew Adil and son-in-law Faisal, accused of helping dispose of the doctor’s body in the Nari Balotha area, have also been named in the case.
The accused including Rida Waheed, a close friend of the deceased and wife of a known cloth store owner, Parvez, suspected of playing a role in the crime’s planning, and Nadeem, a local contractor, were produced before the court. All the three were brought to court amid heightened security arrangements.
Also, District Police Officer (DPO), Abbottabad, removed Sub-Inspector Zubair Khan from the position of Station House Officer Cantonment and Inspector Ali Jadoon was appointed as the new SHO.
The brutal murder of Dr Warda, after her kidnapping five days earlier, has triggered widespread anger across Abbottabad and elsewhere in the province. Fearing unrest, the district administration in Abbottabad ordered the closure of all cloth markets as a precautionary measure.
Protests by the medical community intensified for the second consecutive day. At the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital, doctors, nurses, paramedics and other staff observed a complete strike and held a condolence reference, demanding swift and exemplary punishment for all those involved.
At Ayub Medical Complex, one of the largest healthcare institutions in the region, medical professionals blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH), staging a sit-in that brought traffic to a halt. Demonstrators sharply criticised the district administration and police for alleged negligence, calling for the immediate arrest of all accused and suspension of the Cantonment Station House Officer (SHO).
The doctors in major hospitals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa observed a strike, suspending outpatient services to demand justice for Dr Warda and improved safety measures for healthcare workers. The demonstrations were held on the call of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Doctors Council, reflecting the medical community’s deep grief and anger over the incident.
