Authorities in Abbottabad discovered the body of Dr. Warda Mushtaq on Monday, four days after she was reported missing. Her remains were located in the wooded area of Thandiyani and subsequently transported to a hospital for an autopsy.

As per police sources, the doctor had not been seen since Thursday, prompting her colleagues and members of the Provincial Doctors Association and Grand Health Alliance to stage protests. They had previously warned that demonstrations would escalate to hospitals throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa if she was not found by Monday.

Following the discovery of her body, hospital personnel obstructed the Karakoram Highway at Fawara Chowk, protesting against the authorities for what they termed “delayed action.”

Police have arrested three people in connection with the case  Rida, a friend of Dr Warda Mushtaq; Rida’s husband; and a third suspect named Pervez  while efforts continue to apprehend the main accused, Shamrez.

District Police Officer (DPO) Haroon Rasheed shared with reporters that Dr. Warda’s remains were retrieved “after more than six hours of effort” from a deep ravine in Lari Banota. He stated that the remains were handed over to the family following the autopsy.

The doctor, employed at a government hospital, had left the institution with her friend Rida on Thursday to address a dispute regarding 67 tolas of gold. As per a complaint lodged by Dr. Warda’s father, the gold was entrusted to Rida for safekeeping in 2023 when the doctor traveled to Dubai. Upon her return, she requested the gold back, but according to the FIR, the suspect continued to avoid her.

The FIR was filed under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code, detailing that the doctor’s last known whereabouts were at Jadoon Plaza in Mandian, where CCTV footage captured her with Rida before she lost contact.

Rida later provided a written statement to the DPO alleging that she had returned the gold on Thursday at the plaza. She claimed, “I returned 67 tolas of gold to her that same day, and she handed me five cheques totaling Rs8.3 million.” 

She further stated, “After leaving the plaza, I had no further contact with her, and I possess no information about her,” asserting that she first learned of the situation while attending a wedding. Rida insisted that her husband was being framed as part of an effort “to tarnish his reputation.”

The DPO mentioned that investigators gathered CCTV footage, call data records, and additional technical data, interviewed over 35 individuals, and subsequently arrested Rida, Nadeem Zeb, and Pervez. 

He indicated that Rida led the doctor to an under-construction house on Rehman Street under the guise of returning the gold and entrusted her to two men, Shamrez and Nadeem. The doctor was later murdered and buried in a pit within the Lari Banota forest area.

Police teams have been dispatched to Peshawar to locate the main suspect, identified as Shamrez. Vehicles used in the abduction, stamp papers, and cheques related to the gold dispute have been confiscated, while postmortem and forensic reports are currently under review.

The incident has sparked extensive outrage. The Provincial Doctors Association, Grand Health Alliance, and hospital staff have withdrawn their services, providing only emergency care. Nurses, paramedics, and other staff have joined the protests, demanding accountability for those involved.

District Bar Association Haripur also condemned the killing and demanded legal action, saying the case should be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The district chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Haripur, Tahir Atiq Siddiqi, termed the incident a failure of authorities to protect lives. Awami National Party provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the murder raised concerns about women’s safety and insisted it could have been prevented had authorities “taken the matter seriously.”

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi sought a report on the development and called it a “serious and unforgettable incident.” He said, “I share the grief of the doctors’ community across the province and the family of the martyred doctor,” and assured that those responsible would face consequences.