ABBOTTABAD: Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Dr. Warda Mushtaq, while efforts continue to track down the main accused.
District Police Officer (DPO) Haroon Rasheed told reporters that Dr. Warda’s body was recovered from a deep ravine in the Thandiani Lari Banota area after a six-hour operation. The body, found days after she went missing, was handed over to her family following a postmortem examination.
Dr. Warda, who worked at DHQ Hospital, had left the hospital with her friend Rida, wife of businessman Waheed Ahmad, to retrieve 67 tolas of gold she had previously entrusted to her. She was not seen again afterward. CCTV footage later showed the two together at Jadoon Plaza.
On a complaint filed by the doctor’s father, Mushtaq Ahmad, police registered an FIR under Section 365 PPC against Rida, her husband, and unidentified accomplices. He stated that his daughter had demanded her gold back after returning from Dubai, but Rida kept delaying.
Rida, however, claimed innocence, saying she had returned the gold at Jadoon Plaza and received five bank cheques worth Rs 8.3 million from Dr. Warda in exchange. She insisted she had no contact with the doctor after they parted ways and learned of her disappearance only through a police call.
Meanwhile, the doctor’s colleagues, along with members of the Provincial Doctors Association and Grand Health Alliance, held protests, boycotted hospital duties, and blocked the Karakoram Highway, accusing the police of acting too late. DHQ Hospital doctors suspended OPD services, treating only emergency cases, with nurses and paramedics joining the demonstration.
According to the DPO, Rida allegedly lured Dr. Warda under the pretext of returning the gold and took her to an under-construction house in Rehman Street. There, she reportedly handed her over to the kidnappers Shamrez and Nadeembefore returning home.
Police investigated over 35 individuals, used CCTV footage and call data records, and eventually arrested Rida, Nadeem Zeb, and Pervez. The prime suspect, Shamrez, is still being pursued, with search teams dispatched to Peshawar.
The arrested suspects admitted that Dr. Warda was kidnapped, murdered, and buried in a pit in the Lari Banota forest. Police later recovered the remains and seized vehicles used in the crime, along with stamp papers and cheques linked to the gold dispute. Forensic reports and site inspections are currently under review.
The DPO assured that all those involved will face strict punishment. The provincial police chief has also issued special directives to ensure a thorough investigation.
Separately, the District Bar Association Haripur, leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, and the Awami National Partycondemned the murder, criticizing law enforcement for failing to protect citizens and demanding exemplary punishment for the perpetrators—possibly under anti-terrorism laws.
