By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan’sPrime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar have taken notice of a violent protest by lawyers at Lahore’s Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), during which three patients lost their lives.
“Three patients including an elderly woman died after doctors failed to provide them timely treatment and remained engaged in averting the (lawyers’) assault,” Punjab Health Minister Yasmeen Rashid told press conference on Wednesday evening.
After hours of continued violence, police arrested dozens of lawyers and unblocked city’s busy Jail road. Punjab government also summoned extra troops of Rangers personnel to maintain law and order, English newspaper,Daily Dawn reported.
FederalHuman Rights Minister Shireen Mazari tweeted that a total of 40 lawyers were arrested but four female lawyers were later released. “More arrests will follow,” she wrote.
The lawyers were protesting against a video that went viral on social media yesterday, in which a doctor is seen narrating an encounter with some lawyers in front of a group. According to the doctor in the video, a group of lawyers had gone to the inspector general of police and told him to charge “two doctors” under Section 7 of ATA. He narrated that the IG had refused while the lawyers had urged him to press charges, saying “they could save face” that way.
A large number of lawyers gathered outside PIC on Wednesday to protest against the “mocking video”. The protest, however, turned violent as the lawyers initially closed off entry and exit points to the hospital.
The protesters also damaged equipment inside and broke windows of the hospital as well as cars parked outside. Protesters smashed doors of emergency theatres and staff had to run out to save themselves, according to media reports.
Patients, some in ambulances, were unable to reach the hospital while those receiving treatment were left unattended due to the chaos.
The lawyers also attacked media personnel on the site with stones.
An eyewitness outside the Services Hospital told that a group of lawyers had fired outside the hospital. He added that the lawyers were cursing police officials who were trying to control the situation.
Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chauhan, who had arrived at the hospital, said that “lawyers had tried to kidnap” him. In a video, he can be seen being manhandled by a group of protesting lawyers.
Police used tear gas and resorted to baton charges in an attempt to disperse the lawyers, who had gathered at the hospital in large numbers. The president and secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association also arrived at PIC to convince the angry lawyers to leave the hospital.
Lahore Police DIG Operations, who had also arrived at the hospital, said that those who took the law into their own hands will be dealt with strongly.
Meanwhile, Young Consultants Association (YCA) announced a nationwide strike after the violent protest. President of the YCA Dr Hammad Butt said that no consultant will be on duty across Punjab on Thursday. “The vandalism by lawyers is highly condemnable,” he said.
Chief Minister Buzdar, who was in Islamabad to hold meetings with PTI MNAs, assured that action will be taken against those responsible for the violence. He said that he was headed to Lahore and had directed the authorities to submit a report of the incident.
The chief minister ordered an investigation into the attack and summoned a report from the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) and provincial secretary of specialised health and medical education. The premier summoned a report from the provincial chief secretary and inspector general.
When asked why the government had not taken notice of tensions between doctors and lawyers earlier, Buzdar said that the matter had been resolved.
Prime minister’s special assistant Firdous Ashiq Awan condemned the violence and said: “Lawlessness is not acceptable at any cost.
“The manhandling of provincial minister Fayyazul Hassan Chauhan, vandalism and harassment of poor patients and their attendants is extremely condemnable and regrettable,” she tweeted.
“Those who wear the uniform of law will have to obey the law.”
