The newly-formed Joint Investigation Team (JIT), established following the removal of the District Police Officer (DPO) Abbottabad, commenced its investigation into the murder of Dr. Warda Mushtaq, a medical officer at DHQ Hospital, Abbottabad. The team began its work on Monday.
The JIT conducted visits to key locations connected to the case, including the sites where Dr. Warda was held after her abduction and where her body was later concealed. Additionally, the team paid a visit to Dr. Warda’s grave.
The JIT is being led by Khayam Hussain, with AIG Sonia Shimroz also playing a key role in the investigation. The team includes a diverse group of experts, such as doctors, lawyers, and officials from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Branch, and the prosecution.
Gurdwara Sealed
On Monday, the administration sealed and took possession of an old gurdwara, which Waheed, the husband of Rida (a suspect in Dr. Warda’s murder case), had obtained on lease and turned into a shopping mall.
Suspect in Murder Case Produced in Court
Pervaiz, who had been taken into custody in connection with the murder of Dr. Warda, was produced before a local magistrate where he recorded an important statement.
On Sunday, a key suspect in the murder case of Dr. Warda, identified as Shamrez, was killed during a police encounter in Abbottabad.
According to details, Shamrez had been an absconder in the case and was also wanted in connection with multiple murder cases prior to Dr. Warda’s killing. Authorities said that police had conducted a series of raids over ten days in pursuit of the suspect, eventually locating him in Thandiani.
When officers attempted to apprehend him, Shamrez allegedly opened fire on the police, prompting a counteraction that resulted in his death. Shamrez was reportedly hired as a professional killer in the Dr. Warda case.
Investigators revealed that after the murder, Dr. Warda’s body had been concealed in Thandiani by the suspect.
Shocking Revelations During Investigation
Shocking revelations were made during the investigation into the murder of Dr. Warda. Pervaiz, an accomplice of the main culprit, told interrogators that Rida, Warda’s childhood friend, had repeatedly beaten her before ultimately killing her.
Throughout that period, the suspect said, Dr. Warda kept demanding that gold be returned to her, but Rida consistently refused.
DPO Abbottabad Removed from Investigation
On Saturday, DPO Abbottabad Haroon Rasheed’s name was removed from the provincial Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the murder of Dr. Warda after the family of the late doctor expressed concerns about the police’s role in the investigation. A new notification was issued by the chief secretary regarding the change.
Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government had formed a high-level JIT to investigate the abduction and brutal murder of Dr. Warda. This decision followed mounting public outrage and persistent demands from the medical community for a transparent, independent, and speedy inquiry.
Police Actions Following Murder
Earlier, the DPO Abbottabad had taken notice of the investigation into the murder of Dr. Warda, which led to the suspension of SHO Muhammad Zubair of the Cantonment Police Station due to negligence and failure to take timely action in the case.
On Monday, KP police recovered the body of Dr. Warda, who had been abducted four days earlier from Benazir Shaheed District Hospital in Abbottabad, from a remote hilly area on Thandiani Road, Lari Binota.
According to police, Dr. Warda had left the hospital with her friend, Rida, a few days before her disappearance. Following her disappearance, police arrested Rida along with two other individuals.
Police sources revealed that Dr. Warda had been keeping approximately 67 tolas of gold jewelry with her friend since 2023.
Dr. Warda had reportedly gone to reclaim her jewelry. Police added that Rida took Dr. Warda to her under-construction house and handed her over to suspects Aurangzeb and Nadeem, who killed her in the Lari Binota area.
Acting on information provided by the suspects, the police recovered the body and transferred it to DHQ Hospital for a post-mortem.
