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Police in Abbottabad have recovered gold, bank cheques worth Rs12.3 million and other evidence in the abduction and murder case of Dr Warda Mushtaq, as investigators continue to piece together the sequence of events leading to her death.

The police reported that these findings were obtained from the spouse of the main suspect, Rida Jadoon, following revelations made by the suspects already in custody. 

Authorities confiscated ten gold receipts, cheques worth Rs12.3 million, and the murder weapon, a rope. The recovery of these items occurred during raids as part of the investigation. 

Dr. Warda, a medical officer at the District Headquarters Hospital in Abbottabad, was kidnapped from outside the hospital on December 4. Her body was discovered four days later in the Lari Binota area along Thandiani Road. Investigators have connected the case to a dispute regarding gold that Dr. Warda had entrusted to Rida for safekeeping two years prior to her death. 

According to the police, Rida contacted Dr. Warda on the day of the incident and requested her to come and collect the gold. Investigators have stated that Dr. Warda was taken to an under-construction site in the Jinnahabad area, where she was strangled. The police indicated that she was killed within an hour of her abduction. 

Abbottabad District Police Officer Haroon Rasheed mentioned that the postmortem examination revealed a fractured neck bone, with strangulation and suffocation identified as the cause of death.

Four individuals Rida, Nadeem and Pervaiz, and Rida’s husband Waheed had been arrested in connection with the case. 

Another suspect, Shamraiz, was shot during a police operation earlier this week. Authorities indicated that he opened fire when officers tried to apprehend him. He got killed in the return fire. His body was transported to Ayub Medical Complex.

Days after his abduction, the bullet-ridden body of a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) official was discovered in a deserted area of Balochistan’s Panjgur district.

As per the details, the official, identified as Khalil Ahmed, had been abducted at gunpoint from the Tusp region of the district.

With his remains subsequently found at a deserted location in the same area, police said that the body exhibited signs of torture and had multiple gunshot wounds.

Earlier, residents reported finding a body in the Chakul area, located on the outskirts of Panjgur town. Upon receiving this information, police arrived at the scene, took possession of the body and transported it to the district hospital.

Following the recovery of the body, the deceased’s family gathered outside the district police officer’s office in Panjgur. The family held a protest, demanding the swift apprehension of those responsible for the abduction and murder. 

Protesters claimed that police had been alerted about the kidnapping of the CTD official but failed to take action to save him.

Police officials and representatives from the district administration engaged in discussions with the protesters. After negotiations, the family members concluded their protest and departed. 

No group has taken responsibility for the murder while authorities confirmed that probe is ongoing to ascertain the motive behind the abduction and killing.

Two women were allegedly gangraped in Lahore, police said, adding that the suspects were already in custody and a case had been registered.

According to an FIR [First Information Report] filed by the mother of the victims – both sisters – the assault took place in the Sundar area of the provincial capital.

Five, namely Qasim, Umair Jatt, Ali Akbar Wattoo, Zia Ur Rehman and Ahmed Raza, were nominated in the case.

The complainant said that on December 11, at approximately 3:30 pm, her daughters left the house for work and returned at 9 pm.

Upon their return, they informed her that they had been sexually assaulted.

According to the FIR, the sisters had gone to Theme Park’s Umar Block to meet acquaintances identified as Tayyab s/o Bashir and Tayyab s/o Mansha. The complaint said another individual, Umair Jatt, arrived at the location and allegedly began assaulting the victims. 

When they resisted, he reportedly called his associates Qasim, Wattoo, Rehman and Raza, who also sexually assaulted the them.

Jatt is said to also have threatened the victims with a firearm.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations of Lahore police, Faisal Kamran, directed police to act in response to the report.

Four suspects were apprehended by Sundar police during an operation supervised by Sadar Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Rana Hussain Tahir and Station House Officer (SHO) Asad Iqbal.

Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fifth accused.

SP Tahir said that further probe is underway and all aspects of the case are being thoroughly examined. He said that police action against criminal elements was ongoing throughout the division and that updates will be given after the investigation was completed.

Meanwhile, the victims have underwent medical examinations, and legal proceedings will continue after the receipt of reports.