OKARA, Nov 23: Scores of people, including the Okara District Headquarters Hospital employees, have protested against the hospital mosque expansion. They contend that the mosque has blocked the access road to the Out-Patient Department and the emergency ward of the DHQ hospital.

The mosque is being expanded by its construction committee, led by Dr Ammar Yasir Khan (a private practitioner), and the people say it has encroached upon the hospital land.

The mosque was got constructed in 1951 by the then medical superintendent, Dr Hassan Muhammad, over five marlas to facilitate the employees and visitors. In the late 1970s, the new hospital building was constructed at a distance of about 100 meters.

The protesting people have criticized the mosque expansion and demanded DCO Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam Kamboh and tehsil nazim Rao Jamil Akhtar to take stock of the situation.