November 01, 2006	Wednesday	Shawwal 8, 1427

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SIALKOT, Oct 31: Doctors will observe a complete strike on Wednesday (today) across the district in protest against what they said the rising incidence of robberies. This announcement was made by office-bearers of the newly established supreme council of Pakistan Medical Association, Sialkot, while addressing a press conference at Government Allama Iqbal Memorial DHQ hospital here.

Dr Imran Idrees Butt, Dr Masudul Syed and Dr Zaheer Husain Rizvi told newsmen that doctors would not attend patients at government hospitals, BHUs, RHUs, health dispensaries and private clinics in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils.

However, they said, emergency patients would only be treated by doctors in emergency departments of both Allama Iqbal Memorial and Sardar Begum Memorial DHQ hospitals.

They said the supreme council had taken the step against looting of doctors’ community.

The office-bearers said dacoits had struck 17 times in private clinics of local doctors during the last few months. They said the Sialkot police had miserably failed in protecting doctors.

They said PMA would also take out a rally from Allama Iqbal Memorial hospital to the DPO office on Nov 1.

To a question, Dr Idrees Butt said PMA was considering a proposal regarding establishment of their own security system in private hospitals and clinics of the district.

Earlier, scores of male and female doctors held a rally against the killing of husband of a lady doctor on Monday night.

Reports said three robbers came to the private clinic of Dr Ali Salman on Khwaja Safdar Road in the cantonment area here.

Police said a robber and his accomplice escaped after killing Dr Shama’s husband Talat Mahmood during the robbery. One of the robbers was killed in the firing of his accomplices in the clinic.

They said they were informed of the incident immediately and a police team started chasing the fleeing robbers. They were located near the village.

The robbers opened fire on seeing the police which was retaliated. One of the robbers was killed in the exchange of fire, while his accomplice fled in the darkness. The dead robber was identified as Akbar.

The robber killed in the clinic was later identified as Sagheer.

Police claimed that Akbar was involved in dozens of robberies in clinics.

Motra police are investigating.