Lahore, Dozens of Lawyers attacked Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) for seeking revenge of a past clash happened few weeks back. In the result of Lawyers’ attack on PIC, 12 Patients died so far and 25 doctors are injured seriously. Lawyers also attacked Faiz ul Hassan Chohan, information minister of Punjab and tried to kidnap him. Below are all videos of Lawyers‘ attack on PIC and complete details of the incident.
Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Wednesday took notice of a violent protest by lawyers at Lahore’s Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), during which four patients lost their lives.
Grand Health Alliance Chairman Dr Salman Haseeb confirmed the number of deaths. According to reports, the patients were in critical condition and were left unattended after the lawyers barged into emergency wards.
After hours of continued violence, police arrested more than a dozen lawyers and unblocked the road.
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 reports.
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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. A Dawn NewsTV female reporter, Kinza Malik, was injured and her phone was snatched from her.
An eyewitness outside the Services Hospital told to media 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.
Fayyazul Hassan Chohan was also Attacked by Lawyers at PIC.
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 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.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid was also at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Young Consultants Association (YCA) announced a nationwide strike after the violent protest. President of the YCA Dr Hammad Butt said that tomorrow no consultant will be on duty all across Punjab. “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.
‘Unbelievable Ccenes’ Firdous Ashiq Awan at lawyers’ Attack on PIC Lahore
Prime minister’s aide 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.”
The Punjab chief minister termed the incident “intolerable”.
“No one is above the law,” he said after the protest broke out.
“Such an incident at a hospital for cardiology is intolerable. To create hurdles for patients receiving treatment is inhumane and a criminal act,” he said.
In a tweet, Buzdar later said that he had directed authorities to take action against those responsible “without discrimination”.
Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairperson Syed Amjad Shah, in a conversation with a news channel, condemned the violence, adding that the protest “was the individual act of a few lawyers”.
“Doctors misbehaved with the lawyers first after which the latter turned violent,” he claimed. He further said that a committee, chaired by the Punjab Bar Council’s chairman, had been formed to investigate the incident.
Citizens also took to Twitter to express their concern and called for action to be taken against the lawyers.
Lawyer Babar Sattar called the violence “abhorrent” and pointed out that “it isn’t the first such incident”. He said that the bar leaders should call for the cancellation of licences of the lawyers involved.
“Time for us to show allegiance to rule of law and not tribalism,” he tweeted.
Ali Salman Alvi said there should have been “ruthless police action” against the lawyers who held the PIC under siege.
“The attack on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology is an act of terrorism. The Govt must immediately stop dishing out grants to LHCBA unless and until they disown and throw out the lawyers involved in this ghastly attack. Stop feeding these thugs, Ali Salman Alvi added.