Hundreds of patients faced severe hardship on Saturday as medical staff at Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital completely boycotted the Outpatient Department (OPD), demanding the immediate recovery of their female colleague who went missing under mysterious circumstances two days ago.

The protesting medical staff, led by the Provincial Doctors Association and the Grand Health Alliance, has given law enforcement agencies a Monday deadline for the safe return of Dr. Warda Mushtaq, warning that the protest will be expanded to medical centers across the province if she is not found.

Speaking to the media in the DHQ premises, Dr. Moazzam Khan and other protest leaders stated that Dr. Mushtaq left the hospital during her duty hours on December 4 but did not reach her home. They expressed disappointment over the apparent lack of progress despite filing a police report.

According to the case registered by the doctor’s father under Section 365, Dr. Mushtaq went missing after visiting a friend in Jadoon Plaza, Mandian, who is the wife of a prominent local businessman.

The report alleges a dispute over 67 tolas of gold jewelry, which Dr. Mushtaq had allegedly given to her friend for safekeeping in 2023. The complaint states that there is a written record of this transaction, but the jewelry was not returned upon demand. The doctor was attempting to retrieve her property on the evening of her disappearance.

DPO Abbottabad Haroon Rasheed Khan has formed an investigation team to probe the disappearance, but two days have passed without any trace of the doctor. Police say efforts are underway to bring the facts to light soon.

The protest was attended by doctors, nurses, and paramedics, bringing OPD services to a complete halt. The department serves more than two thousand patients daily for various ailments.

MS DHQ Dr. Amir Israr confirmed that the boycott caused severe hardship for outpatients, but emergency services remained fully functional. He stated that the administration is in constant contact with senior police officials and is hopeful for a breakthrough in the case.