Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Sunday announced that a civil award would be conferred on a man who came to the assistance of a female doctor at Quetta’s Civil Hospital after an acid attack on her.

On Saturday, a female doctor, Mahnoor Nisar, was seriously injured at the Civil Hospital when an employee of the facility allegedly threw acid on her, police said. The doctor suffered severe burn injuries to her face, chest, legs and other parts of her body.

According to police, the man who threw acid on Dr Nisar was killed in an encounter after law enforcers traced him to the area from where he attempted to flee by a bus.

The CCTV footage of the incident shows a man trying to help Dr Nisar, as she came running out of a room after the attack, by covering her up with what appears to be his jacket.

In a post on X, CM Bugti said Abdul Razzaq Tarakai, who is also an employee at the Civil Hospital, “displayed extraordinary courage, humanity, and dedication” by coming to Dr Mahnoor’s help and would be given a civil award.

Commending his efforts, the chief minister said, “Such brave and valiant individuals are the assets of our society and set an example of serving humanity even in the most difficult circumstances”.

Separately, MNA Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari also condemned the attack and shared that she has requested President Asif Ali Zardari to confer the highest civilian award on Tarakai for his “selfless gallantry”, as per a statement by the President’s Secretariat.

“His timely and courageous intervention not only saved a precious life but also stands as an inspiring example of humanity for the entire nation,” she was quoted as saying.

According to the statement, Aseefa said that violence against women had no place in society, calling for it to be dealt with “full force of law“.

“The relevant authorities must ensure that such incidents are curbed in the future,” she said.

Dr Nisar was taken to Karachi after initial treatment in Quetta, and she is currently being treated at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).

Hospital sources told Dawn that her condition is currently stable.

She has bilateral corneal opacities — a condition in which the clear surface of the eye becomes scarred — but her vision remains preserved, the sources said, adding that the plastic surgeon and ophthalmologist had been consulted to examine her.

The sources further said that the burns appear superficial, but a detailed assessment was awaited.

Meanwhile, Tarakai was discharged from a private hospital in Quetta, where he was being treated for his burn injuries.

Earlier, a senior official of Quetta’s Civil Hospital told Dawn that he also spoke with CM Bugti over the phone.

Additional reporting by Imran Ayub and Saleem Shahid