In a dramatic turn of events, four doctors and one nurse from the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Rawalakot were arrested from the courtroom on Saturday following the dismissal of their interim bail in the case of a 9th-grade student’s alleged wrongful death due to a mistaken injection.
The case pertains to the tragic death of young student Fizza Khurshid, who reportedly died due to medical negligence approximately six months ago. The District and Sessions Court, led by Judge Raja Yousaf Haroon and Qazi Abdul Basit, announced its verdict against the accused after hearing strong arguments from the plaintiff’s counsel, Advocate Asim Irshad, whose compelling presentation reportedly left the courtroom in silence.
The court ordered the immediate arrest of CMH Rawalakot’s Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Amna Nawaz, Dr Tayyaba, Dr Amrozish Liaqat, Dr Faryal, and Nurse Anisa Asheer. All five were taken into custody from the court premises. However, interim bail for Dr Nadir, Dr Tahmeena, and Nurse Farzana Shaheen was confirmed.
Previously, the local court had ordered arrests in the case, but the suspects reportedly used influence and reached the High Court to nullify the order, allegedly aided by Station House Officer (SHO) Amjad Saqi Chughtai, whose leniency helped delay the arrests. Despite Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Poonch’s written directives to proceed with the arrests, SHO Rawalakot’s hesitations had caused a delay in executing the warrants.
The charges stem from the alleged medical negligence at CMH Rawalakot that led to Fizza Khurshid’s death after she was administered a wrong injection. According to reports, the girl was brought in a stable condition to the hospital, but her health deteriorated rapidly following the injection. Medical reports from Sheikh Zayed Hospital confirmed the cause of death, strengthening the case against the accused.
The case regained momentum when a senior nurse, under oath, exposed key details of negligence, prompting the Justice of Peace to order legal proceedings under her affidavit. The court stated that if the police failed to arrest the named suspects within a week, strict action would be taken against law enforcement officials.
Earlier, the victim’s family, supported by the local community and District Bar Association of Poonch, had expressed strong dissatisfaction over the delay in justice and alleged attempts to bury the case. Despite official inquiries and promises of justice by the Deputy Commissioner, no substantive progress was seen until the legal pressure mounted by the Bar Association and Advocate Asim Irshad forced a breakthrough.
After court orders, FIRs were officially registered against Dr Nadeem, Dr Tayyaba, and Nurse Anisa Asheer, who had previously obtained interim bail. With the latest verdict and arrests, political, legal, and civil society circles have welcomed the move, expressing hope that Fizza Khurshid’s family will finally receive justice. The court has directed the district police to ensure that all accused named in the FIR are arrested and presented before the court within one week, warning of severe consequences in case of non-compliance.