Dr. Mehwish’s murder sparks countrywide revolt; doctors shut services, demand justice

PESHAWAR: The brutal killing of Dr. Mehwish Hasnain, a lady doctor serving at District Headquarters Hospital Kohat, has ignited a wave of outrage across Pakistan’s medical community, transforming this act of violence into a national flashpoint over the safety of healthcare workers. As doctors suspend services and protests spread from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Sindh, the tragedy is no longer just about one life lost — it has become a stark warning about the growing risks faced by physicians and the state’s failure to protect them.

Four days after the murder, police say the suspect has been identified but remains at large. The husband of the deceased doctor has complained that the family has received no meaningful update from investigators. CCTV footage, according to hospital officials, shows the suspect following Dr. Mehwish after she left the hospital, moments before she was shot dead near the Kohat Development Authority double road.

Related story: Nationwide outrage after brutal killing of CMO Dr. Mehwish in Kohat

The case reportedly began with a verbal altercation inside the hospital, when Dr. Mehwish asked an attendant to leave the female ward. The attendant allegedly tracked her and opened indiscriminate fire as she traveled in a rickshaw, killing her on the spot before escaping.

Protests expand across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Anger within the medical community has spilled into action. The Young Doctors Association Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa (YDA KPK) initially suspended elective services in Kohat and southern districts, but the boycott has now entered its fourth day and expanded further.

From today, the withdrawal of services has widened from Kohat, southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Mardan Division into Malakand Division. Hospitals in Batkhela and Matta have joined the protest, with elective services suspended and demonstrations held inside hospital premises.

YDA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Dr. Asfandyar has warned that if justice is delayed, the movement will be taken province-wide. He has accused the provincial government of failing in its duty to protect doctors, saying the issue has moved beyond routine security to the “protection of life itself.”

Elective services remain suspended in districts including Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Upper and Lower South Waziristan, as well as Mardan, Nowshera, and Swabi. Outpatient departments in several hospitals are also closed. Emergency services, however, continue in most facilities to avoid complete disruption of patient care.

Sindh joins the outcry

The protest is no longer limited to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Sindh, the Young Doctors Association Sindh, along with the Pakistan Medical Association Sindh, Young Nurses Association, SMBBUTA, and paramedical staff, staged a peaceful black ribbon protest at Liaquat University Hospital.

The demonstration was led by Dr. Roshan Chandio (President, YDA Sindh), Dr. Niaz Babar (President, PMA Sindh), and Dr. Sajjan Halepoto (General Secretary, YDA Sindh), alongside representatives of nurses and paramedical staff. Participants wore black ribbons to mourn Dr. Mehwish and to signal solidarity with doctors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speakers demanded immediate arrest of the accused, swift justice, and concrete security measures for healthcare workers. The joint platform declared zero tolerance for violence against medical professionals and vowed to continue protests until the killers are brought to justice.

Government response under pressure

Doctors’ representatives have already met with Provincial Health Minister Khaleeq-ur-Rehman and Health Secretary Shahidullah Khan, demanding a departmental FIR under terrorism-related clauses, implementation of a martyr package for Dr. Mehwish’s family, and enforcement of the Health Care Security Act 2020.

Officials have offered condolences and assurances that legal and administrative steps will be taken, but the continued freedom of the suspect has fueled distrust among doctors and intensified calls for accountability.

A national question of safety

Beyond protests and boycotts lies a deeper issue: can doctors in Pakistan safely perform their duties? The killing of Dr. Mehwish has become a symbol of the dangers faced by healthcare workers inside and outside hospitals. For many doctors, the failure to arrest the accused is not just a lapse in investigation but a message of vulnerability.

As protests widen from district to province and now across provincial borders, the case has turned into a national test for law enforcement, health authorities, and political leadership. Until the suspect is arrested and doctors see tangible security reforms, the medical community signals it is prepared to keep pressure on the system — even at the cost of routine hospital services.

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