KARACHI, June 20: Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and the NICVD Doctors' Association in a joint press conference here at Karachi Press Club on Sunday condemned the 'abduction' of Dr Akmal Waheed, his brother Dr Arshad Waheed and their driver.

PIMA President Dr Misbah Aziz, stressing that protecting life and property of every citizen is the foremost responsibility of the government, regretted that despite a lapse of five days, the authorities had taken no action for the recovery of the kidnap victims.

The abduction, he added, had become a mystery. He quoted the doctors' family members as saying that two days after their disappearance, a phone call for ransom had been received and an FIR to this effect had been lodged.

The kidnappers had made no contacts with the family since then, he said. PMA General Secretary Dr Sher Shah Syed expressed the doubt that the two doctors were in custody of secret agencies, adding that Dr Akmal Waheed had been receiving threats and subjected to harassment before the incident.

Dr Syed claimed that the victim had been chased by some people in suspicious vehicles whereas his residence had remained under watch. Anonymous callers with their numbers not familiar to the victim had been threatening him, he said.

Dr Aziz and Dr Syed urged the government to take immediate action for the recovery of the kidnap victims and if they were in agencies' custody, the fact and other details be made known to the family and other concerned people. They said that if there was any case against them, then legal procedure be followed.

The NICVD Doctors' Association President Dr Haider Bux said that doctors more than 80 doctors had fallen victim to target killing in the last few years but the government and law-enforcing agencies remained unmoved.

Now, he added, no steps had been taken as yet for the recovery of the kidnapped doctors despite passage of five days. "No official of police or any other law-enforcement agency had contacted the family," he claimed.

The organizations maintained that they were not in favour of observing strikes and closing down hospitals to register their protest. However, they added, if the government failed to recover the abducted doctors and provide protection to the community, any extreme action would have to be taken.

Dr Akmal Waheed had remained PIMA president and in-charge of the PIMA relief wing. He is currently associated with the NICVD. He is known for his active role in relief services in Pakistan and Kashmir, as well as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq and Iran. -PPI