ISLAMABAD: The head of the cardiology department at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) was shot and critically injured on the premises of the hospital on Saturday, police and the hospital administration said.

While Prof Dr Shahid Nawaz Malik was battling for his life and doctors were getting ready to operate upon him for the single bullet injury to the back of his head, the inspector general of the capital police, Tahir Alam Khan, told mediapersons that the doctor had died.

“The doctor received a bullet injury which claimed his life,” said the police chief. He also claimed that the police had arrested one of the attackers who was injured and kept in the hospital.

But the colleagues of the injured professor criticised the IGP for his ‘negligence and unprofessional attitude.’ They said the police chief never consulted the doctors treating the injured before making the announcement.

Prof Malik was targeted when he came out of the private ward and was walking towards his Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at about 3:30pm.

Two men appeared in front of the cardiology ward, adjacent to the private wing, and one of them fired a bullet on the doctor and escaped towards the residential block for the lower staff.

The injured was taken inside the hospital and provided with medical assistance. Later, he was operated upon and shifted to the Surgical ICU.

Cardiologist Shahid Nawaz Malik received bullet injury to his head in an attack on hospital premises

Habibur Rehman, the driver of Prof Malik, told Dawn that one of the attackers was armed with a pistol and the second was carrying an SMG.

He said the man holding the pistol fired a bullet on the doctor and then both escaped.

Some onlookers and the hospital guards chased the attackers for a few yards but returned. He said the gunman used a pistol fitted with a silencer to target the doctor.

Police officers, who were examining the crime scene and recording statements of the witnesses, confirmed that no one had heard the gunshot.

They said it was a targeted attack by a professional shooter. The bullet was fired from a distance of 20 to 25 feet, they added.

Pims spokesman Dr Waseem Khawaja also said it was a targeted attack by highly skilled persons. He said specialist doctors at Pims, including Prof Malik, were under threats and in this regard Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram had informed them about it. The issue was also brought in the knowledge of the IGP by Prof Malik’s nephew Dr Shahryar, he added.

After the operation, Prof Malik was shifted to the ICU where his condition was ‘extremely critical,’ he said.

“He received a bullet at the back of his head called posterior fossa,” Dr Khawaja said. Though the injured was operated upon, the damage caused by the bullet is ‘irreparable,’ he added.

The colleagues of Prof Malik said the VC had informed him and other specialists that there were threats for their lives.

In this regard, a meeting was also held to discuss the issue at Pims a week ago. Prof Malik had arranged a private security guard, a former commando, who was expected to join the duty from Sunday morning, they added.

When contacted, Dr Javed Akram, however, expressed ignorance about the threats to Prof Malik and the meeting held at Pims. “These issues are not in my knowledge,” he added.

Some police officers said Prof Malik was targeted either over an enmity or for a personal grudge. There are rumours that Prof Malik administrated his patients with stents whether it was necessary or not, they added.

Published in Dawn February 15th , 2015

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