Karachi: A young female doctor who was attacked with acid inside a government hospital in Quetta and is now undergoing treatment at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi had reportedly endured months of harassment from the accused lift operator but never reported it to hospital authorities or her family, Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar told The News on Saturday.
The minister said investigators discovered messages on the suspect’s mobile phone indicating that he had been harassing Dr Mahnoor Nasir, a postgraduate trainee in general surgery at Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta, for several months before the attack.
“He had been harassing her for many months. We came to know about this after examining his mobile phone and other evidence,” Kakar said, expressing surprise that the young doctor had not informed anyone about the alleged harassment.
According to the minister, Dr Mahnoor may have kept the matter to herself out of concern about a possible tribal or family reaction if the issue became public.
The attack on Dr Mahnoor has shocked the medical community and renewed concerns over the safety of healthcare workers, particularly female doctors, who continue to face harassment, intimidation and violence while performing their duties.
As per preliminary investigations, the accused, identified as Humayun Shah, a contractual lift operator at Sandeman Provincial Hospital and a resident of Noshki district, had allegedly been attempting to establish a personal relationship with the doctor for some time. Colleagues said she repeatedly rejected his advances, which investigators believe may have enraged him and triggered the attack.
Authorities said the suspect allegedly threw acid on the doctor inside the hospital premises before fleeing.
The incident also drew attention to the availability of burn care facilities in Balochistan. Rejecting suggestions that the province lacked treatment capacity, Health Minister Bakht Kakar said Quetta has two dedicated burn treatment facilities, one at Sandeman Provincial Hospital and another at Bolan Medical Complex Hospital.
He said both centres had previously managed major burn emergencies, including victims injured in the Noshki oil tanker explosion and those affected in a customs warehouse fire incident in the province.
According to Kakar, Dr Mahnoor was initially shifted to the private Arya Medical Centre in Quetta after large crowds gathered at the public hospital following the attack.
“She was receiving treatment at Arya Medical Centre, but later her parents requested that she be shifted to Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi. Otherwise, she could have continued treatment in Quetta,” he said.
The minister said preliminary assessments conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital suggested that the doctor’s major organs, including her eyes, had remained unharmed.
“As per the initial reports, most of the burns are superficial except for one deeper burn. We are hopeful that she will recover well,” he added.
Officials at Aga Khan University Hospital said Dr Mahnoor was brought to Karachi by air ambulance and remains in stable condition.
“Dr Mahnoor Nasir is stable and she herself provided her medical history to doctors in the Emergency Room after arriving at Aga Khan University Hospital,” officials familiar with her treatment said.
Kakar said Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti had assured the family of full government support and had even offered to arrange treatment abroad if required.
“The chief minister told her parents that she is like our own daughter and if doctors recommend treatment in London or elsewhere, the government will make all arrangements,” the minister said.
Police and other law enforcement agencies launched a district wide manhunt for the suspect and later tracked him near a bus stop in Noshki.
According to police officials, the accused was asked to surrender but allegedly opened fire on the police party. Officers returned fire, killing him at the scene.
Authorities said the suspect had admitted during initial contact with investigators that he attacked the doctor because she had refused to reciprocate his attempts to establish a relationship with her. Police recovered a pistol, live ammunition and spent bullet casings from the scene.
Dr Mahnoor is the daughter of Dr Habibullah Nasir from Duki district of Balochistan. Her colleagues described her as a dedicated young surgeon focused on completing her postgraduate training.
Following directives from Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the Balochistan government arranged an air ambulance to transfer the injured doctor to Karachi and announced that all treatment expenses would be borne by the provincial government.
The attack comes only months after another shocking incident involving a female physician. In Kohat, Dr Mehwish was shot dead while on duty after a dispute involving relatives of a patient, triggering nationwide protests by doctors and renewed calls for stronger protection of healthcare workers.
Medical associations have repeatedly warned that violence against doctors, workplace harassment, insecurity, intimidation and threats are contributing to declining morale within the profession and discouraging many young people, particularly women, from pursuing careers in medicine.
Doctors’ organisations have called for zero tolerance for violence against healthcare workers and urged authorities to establish effective complaint mechanisms, strengthen workplace safeguards and ensure that hospitals remain safe environments for all medical staff.
As Dr Mahnoor continues her treatment in Karachi, the attack has become a stark reminder of the persistent threats faced by healthcare workers and the need for stronger institutional mechanisms to identify and address workplace harassment before it escalates into trage
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