Doctors in Pakistan's Balochistan threaten to resign en masse

26 doctors kidnapped so far while 18 killed in targeted attacks; 84 doctors moved to other cities because of threats to their lives and property

Doctors in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province have threatened to resign en masse if security is not provided to them after 26 physicians were abducted and 18 others died in targeted attacks.

The Chairman of the Core Committee of Pakistan Medical Association, Balochistan chapter, Dr Haqdad Tareen said 84 doctors had moved to other cities from the province because of threats to their lives and property.

Addressing a press conference at the hunger strikers' camp at the Civil Hospital, he threatened that doctors serving in various hospitals would resign en masse if protection was not provided to them.

He said so far 26 doctors, including cardiologist Dr Munaf Tareen, had been kidnapped and 18 others killed in targeted attacks.

"We are unsafe and the government is least concerned in providing us protection or freeing Dr Tareen who was kidnapped on September 17. Keeping in view the lukewarm attitude of the administration and police, we have decided to form a private force for security," he was quoted as saying by the Dawn.

Slamming the law-enforcement agencies for allegedly "advising doctors to make a deal with abductors for the release of their kidnapped colleagues", Haqdad said the government knew who the culprits were yet it was helpless to take action against them.

"Hence it has no right to govern," he added.

"We are not satisfied with security measures taken by the government as 34 days have passed and there seems to be no progress in efforts for the recovery of Dr Munaf," he said.

Haqdad appealed to political groups, welfare organisations and the general public to raise their voice against the kidnapping for ransom menace which has made the lives of doctors, engineers, businessmen and other people miserable.

Balochistan sees frequent outbreaks of violence involving both Islamist militants and separatist rebels.

Baloch separatist insurgents have long demanded more autonomy and a greater share of Balochistan's natural resources. Target killings, bomb blasts and kidnapping are rampant in the area.

The province was struck by a devastating earthquake last month. Over 500 people have lost their lives and lakhs have been affected.

The relief operations are being undertaken by the Army there and they have come under attack from Baloch nationalist groups.