Overview
- On June 5 a hospital employee allegedly threw acid at Dr. Mahnoor Nasir in a ward at Civil Hospital Quetta, causing burns to about 13% of her body and leading to her airlift to Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi for specialised care.
- Police named the suspect as Humayun Shah, a lift operator, and said he was killed in an exchange of fire during the manhunt, a development critics say could leave questions about motive and possible accomplices unanswered.
- Doctors in Quetta have staged protests and boycotted non-emergency services, demanded removal of senior hospital officials, and called for a judicial inquiry to ensure a transparent investigation and better staff protection.
- A hospital technician, Abdul Razzaq Khilji, who shielded the doctor and suffered burns, will receive a civil award and government-covered medical care, while hospital sources report Dr. Nasir’s condition is stable and her eyesight intact.
- Rights groups and editorials say the case highlights wider problems: easy informal access to corrosive acid, few specialised burn centres in Pakistan, and renewed calls for strict sale controls, more burn-care capacity, and public first-response education.