ATTOCK, Feb 5: Doctors are not safe in the provinces of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Paktunkhawa where they are being kidnapped for ransom.

This was stated by office-bearers of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) at the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected body here.

The speakers, including PMA president Dr Azhar Jadoon, general secretary Dr Azhar Ali, president Punjab Prof Dr Ashraf Nizami, president PMA Attock Dr Mohammad Aslam Marwat and general secretary Dr Sajjad Hussain Naqvi, said so far 39 doctors had been abducted for ransom in Balochistan, out of whom 26 were found murdered. They said the situation in the tribal areas was even worse. In Karachi, doctors are either being murdered or kidnapped for extortion. A senior doctor was also kidnapped in D.G. Khan in Punjab a few days back.

The situation has created a sense of insecurity among the entire doctors’ community and their families, they added. They said the government had not taken any action for the security of the doctors.

They demanded that the federal and provincial governments should take appropriate measures for the protection.