LAHORE (DNA) – A violent clash that erupted between hundreds of lawyers and doctors on Wednesday left at least four people injured when the charged lawyers stormed into the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and broke windows of the emergency ward and several vehicles parked nearby.
Provincial Information and Culture Minister Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan has also been beaten by lawyers when he tried to control the situation. Meanwhile, rangers have reached at the area to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
Lawyers went “out of control” while holding batons and sticks and broke the emergency gate of the PIC after a video that showed doctors allegedly torturing lawyers went viral on the social media.
A group of doctors and lawyers started pelting stones at each other in which four people sustained injuries.
Police, who initially exchanged just harsh words and appeared helpless in resisting the charged lawyers, later resorted to tear-gas shelling to disperse them.
The PIC paramedics and physicians halted treatment of patients, and rushed out from the hospital premises for saving their lives.
An elderly female patient Gulshan Bibi died when doctors had left the ward during the clash. Other patients seemed in a state of fear and panic.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the incident and has sought an initial report immediately. Mr Buzdar stated that nobody was above the Law and such incident in the medical facility for heart patients was unbearable.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid has arrived at the hospital to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
On Nov. 25, the police added anti-terrorism and attempt to murder sections to the First Investigation Report (FIR) lodged against attacking doctors and paramedics of the PIC for allegedly torturing and injuring some lawyers on the premises of the health facility.
Sections 7-ATA and 324 of the PPC were added after scores of lawyers gathered outside the Central Police Office and lodged a strong protest. They staged a sit-in and accused the police of giving favour to the attacking medics by lodging a “weak case” into the incident in which their colleagues suffered critical injuries.
The lawyers alleged the suspects held them hostage on the premises of the health center and subjected them to torture for complaining about delayed treatment to a patient.
On the same day, the lawyers had also lodged a protest demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club.
Contrarily, the doctors and paramedics had also observed a strike at the PIC, giving a warning that they would expand scope of protest in case of arrest of any of their colleagues.
