LAHORE: The Punjab government sprang into action after scores of lawyers barged into the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, held up doctors and patients and resorted to hooliganism leading to death of four patients on Wednesday.

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan also came under attack and some lawyers allegedly tried to kidnap him but the minister was rescued by media persons.

He alleged that a lawyer close to the PML-N leaders tortured him and even opened fire.

“The unruly lawyer also lifted me and tried to kidnap me,” he alleged.

He also said he asked police not to open fire and called for a water canon and managed to push the protesters away from the hospital.

As the clash between lawyers and doctors intensified and flashed on news channels, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar who was in Islamabad took notice and directed the law, health and information ministers to handle the situation.

“I immediately reached the PIC but the lawyers manhandled me and tried to kidnap me,” Mr Chohan said.

Speaking at a press conference, Law Minister Basharat Raja asserted that strong action would be taken against those who held up the patients and tortured them and attendants besides ransacking the hospital property and damaging private vehicles. He said the culprits would be identified through CCTV footages as well as mobile videos.

“The trend of highhandedness growing in society needs to be curbed,” he said.

The law minister said inquiries had been ordered at two different levels including allegation of police negligence and mishandling the incident. He said the dispute between the lawyers and doctors had been going on for about a month and the stakeholders did not take authorities into confidence.

He said information minister Chohan and health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid controlled the situation at the PIC.

“It is police negligence that it could not protect the information minister from hooligans,” he said.

Mr Raja asked the lawyers to at least admit that they did wrong as well as asked doctors to keep hospital emergencies open and patients should not be deprived of treatment.

Health minister Dr Rashid condemned the lawyers for attacking the hospital. “We saw extreme of highhandedness at the PIC and such activities need to be curbed with an iron hand,” she said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar chaired a cabinet committee on law and order and directed that a detailed inquiry should be conducted. The meeting decided that the damage done to the hospital be rectified immediately and people be compensated for damage done to their private vehicles.

The chief minister sought a report from the CCPO Lahore and specialized healthcare secretary.The chief minister constituted an investigation committee headed by law minister Basharat Raja. Others are health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, IGP, additional chief secretary (Home) and Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education secretary.

The committee will conduct inquiry and submit a report to the chief minister.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2019