Police in Abbottabad have taken key suspects into custody following the recovery of Dr Wardah’s body from a forest, ending the mystery surrounding the young lady doctor’s disappearance.
Authorities say the arrests came after an investigation revealed a dispute over gold that led to the tragic incident.
The victim has been identified as Dr Wardah, who went missing on the night of December 4.
Investigators said the discovery came following information provided by her friend and accomplices, shedding light on the circumstances behind her disappearance.
Visit Times of Karachi website for the latest news-related content daily
Dr Wardah’s father had lodged a missing person complaint at the Cantonment police station after she vanished.
Police later found that Dr Wardah had given 67 tolas of gold to her friend, Rida, in 2023 for safekeeping.
A dispute arose when Dr Wardah asked for her gold back.
According to police, on December 4, Rida contacted Dr Wardah at the District Headquarters Hospital and took her to an under-construction house near Jadoon Plaza on Rehman Street, claiming she would return the gold.
READ: Karachi woman found dead in guest house
Rida left Dr Wardah in the custody of her accomplices, Shamraiz, son of Ayub; his brother Pervez; and an unidentified man, and returned home.
Police reviewed CCTV footage, call records, and other technical evidence, questioning over 35 suspects.
Rida, Nadeem Zaib, son of Aurangzeb, and Pervez, son of Ayub, were arrested, while Shamraiz remains at large.
The suspects’ three-day remand has also been approved.
During questioning, the suspects confessed that they had kidnapped Dr Wardah, killed her, and buried her in a pit in the Lari Banota forest.
Pervez later led investigators to the burial site, and the body was recovered and sent for post-mortem examination.
READ: Karachi tennis player Zainab Ali Naqvi found dead in Islamabad
Authorities also seized the vehicle used in the crime, along with stamp papers and cheques related to the gold dispute.
Forensic examinations and site inspections are ongoing.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the killing, expressing deep sorrow over the incident.
He instructed authorities to conduct a transparent and thorough investigation to ensure justice.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information, Shafi Jan, also expressed grief, calling the incident “extremely regrettable and condemnable.”
Follow the Times of Karachi channel on WhatsApp
He assured that those responsible would be held accountable under the law.
“Doctors are our saviors, and the protection of their lives and property is the government’s top priority,” Shafi Jan said, offering Fateha for the late doctor.
He added that the provincial government stands with the bereaved family and the medical community during this difficult time.
