PESHAWAR, Jan 7: Senior cardiologist Dr Syed Jamal, who was kidnapped from Hayatabad here in November last year, was found dead on Saturday in a rainwater nullah near Teddy Bazaar in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency, police said.

A police official said that unidentified persons had picked up Dr Jamal while he was on way home from his clinic in Dabgari. The kidnappers, he said, had demanded a ransom of Rs100 million and during negotiations they had agreed to release him on payment of Rs30 million.

He said that the doctor's body bore bullet injuries on head, chest and legs. The body has been shifted to Khyber Teaching Hospital.

The official revealed that one of the accused involved in the case had been arrested and was under investigation. The official said that the accused belonged to Parachinar and was residing in Hayatabad, but he would no reveal his identity at this stage.

When contacted, Cantonment Circle superintendent of police Mian Saeed Ahmed told Dawn that two teams of police had so far conducted several raids for recovery of the doctor.

“On a tip-off we had conducted a raid at Saparee area of Khyber Agency with the help of political administration where another kidnapped victim of Kohat Road was recovered, but the doctor was not there,” he said.

Meanwhile, activists of Imamia Students Organisation and Toori Bangash Supreme Council took out a protest procession against the killing of Dr Jamal and demanded of the government to arrest of the kidnappers.

Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) also announced a three-day protest in all the teaching hospitals of Peshawar from Monday against the killing of their colleague. Its president Dr Shahsawar said in a statement that it was not the first case of kidnapping of a doctor, but several other doctors were kidnapped in the past and released after payment of ransom.

“We have repeatedly demanded of the government and held meetings with the ministers to take practical steps for protection of the doctors, but so far no such steps are taken,” he lamented.

The PDA president said that the doctors had also closed their private clinics to record protest over the increasing kidnapping incidents, but even then the government remained a silent spectator.

He said that it was now time to start an organised protest movement for ensuring security of the doctors.