QUETTA — A key suspect wanted for orchestrating a horrific acid attack on a female doctor inside Quetta’s Sandeman Provincial Hospital (Civil Hospital) was killed during an armed shootout with law enforcement on Saturday.
The deceased suspect, identified as 26-year-old Hamayun Shah, was employed as a lift operator at the medical facility. Investigators named Shah as the primary assailant responsible for targeting Dr. Mahnoor Nasir with acid while she was performing her professional duties on the hospital premises.
According to police officials, intelligence units tracked the suspect’s movements to a local bus terminal, where a team moved in to execute an arrest. Upon realizing he was cornered, the suspect opened fire on the police contingent. This triggered a heavy exchange of gunfire, during which the suspect was fatally wounded.
The retaliatory action follows a wave of nationwide outrage triggered by the assault on Dr. Nasir. Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage obtained from the hospital grid captured the suspect navigating toward the medical ward before launching the chemical attack and executing a rapid escape. The recorded visuals also depicted the injured doctor attempting to pursue her attacker for a few moments before tragically collapsing outside the ward from her injuries.
The violent incident drew sharp condemnation from the medical fraternity, prompting severe protests from the Young Doctors Association (YDA) and other healthcare bodies demanding swift justice and institutional security.
In the wake of the attack, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti established direct contact with the victim’s family, declaring that the provincial government would entirely subsidize her medical expenditures. Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar confirmed that comprehensive logistical arrangements have been completed to airlift Dr. Nasir to Karachi via an air ambulance to receive specialized, advanced burn care, promising sustained state support until her complete rehabilitation.
