PMA Demands Judicial Probe into Doctor Acid Attack, Warns of Nationwide Strike Over Safety Concerns

Quetta/Karachi: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has accused the Balochistan government of failing to ensure the safety of doctors and healthcare workers, demanding immediate action over recent attacks on medical professionals and warning of a nationwide strike if its demands are not met.

Addressing a joint press conference in Karachi, PMA Secretary General Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro and PMA Quetta Zone General Secretary Dr. Muhammad Shoaib called for the formation of a judicial commission headed by a sitting judge of the Balochistan High Court to conduct an independent investigation into the acid attack on Dr. Mah Noor at Civil Hospital Quetta.

The press conference was also attended by PMA Karachi President Dr. Ismail Memon and PMA Quetta Zone Joint Secretary Dr. Fayyaz Mastoi.

Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said recent attacks and targeted killings of doctors and healthcare workers in Balochistan have created a climate of fear within the medical community. Referring to the killing of healthcare worker Shabbir Jamali, he said the incident demonstrated that criminals no longer feared the law.

He also condemned the acid attack on Dr. Mah Noor at Civil Hospital Quetta, describing it as a brutal assault that highlighted serious shortcomings in the province’s law enforcement and security arrangements.

The PMA further cited an armed attack at Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Osta Muhammad, where gunmen allegedly opened fire, forcing doctors and hospital staff to seek shelter while leaving patients unattended.

The association expressed concern over what it described as the worsening security environment and its impact on Pakistan’s healthcare system. It claimed that between 3,800 and 4,000 Pakistani doctors left the country during 2025, including more than 1,000 who moved to the United States, while a majority of young doctors are reportedly planning to emigrate due to security concerns and better career opportunities abroad.

PMA demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the killing of Shabbir Jamali, a judicial inquiry into the attack on Dr. Mah Noor, the declaration of all government hospitals in Balochistan and across Pakistan as secure zones with comprehensive security arrangements, enactment of a Healthcare Security Act, and the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the firing incident at Osta Muhammad Hospital under anti-terrorism laws.

The association warned that if the government fails to provide adequate protection to doctors, arrest the suspects in the Shabbir Jamali case, and order a judicial inquiry into the attack on Dr. Mah Noor, the ongoing strike by doctors in Quetta could be expanded into a nationwide protest. PMA said the government would bear full responsibility for any disruption to healthcare services resulting from such action.