LAHORE: A group of young doctors forced their entry into the office of District Health Authority Lahore Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Faisal Malik and allegedly thrashed him in the presence of his staff members.

The suspects were identified as Dr Shoaib Niazi, Dr Atif Majeed and five other medics.

According to witnesses, Dr Faisal was in his Cooper Road office when the suspects barged in and demanded some undue favour in a pending inquiry launched by him into corruption charges against some employees of the authority.

The witnesses said the doctors used abusive language against Dr Faisal and attacked him.

Dr Faisal later told Dawn he was surprised to see the young doctors making forced entry into his office like goons.

He said that Dr Shoib Niazi and Dr Atif Majeed ‘ordered’ him to withdraw the inquiry against the Lahore District Health Authority employees -- Ismail Niazi and Younis Bhatti.

When the CEO asked them to behave, Dr Niazi told him that one of the suspects -- Ismail Niazi -- was his brother.

“As I humbly suggested the intruders to take seats and discuss the matter in a polite manner, they turned violent and attacked me,” Dr Faisal said, adding he immediately raised an alarm and called his staff for help.

He said his office staff rescued him and the intruders later fled the scene hurling life threats at him.

Later, the CEO filed a written complaint against the attackers with the Qila Gujjar Singh police, demanding action against them.

In his complaint, he nominated Dr Atif Majeed, Dr Shoaib Niazi, Ismail Niazi, Younis Bhatti and other unknown suspects.

The CEO also met the Civil Lines superintendent of police (SP) at his office and asked him to lodge an FIR against the offenders.

In a fresh spate of such incidents, young doctors have been accused of torturing health department officers, particularly medical superintendents and principals of the government teaching institutes in Lahore.

Sources say some groups of violent doctors, particularly of Services Hospital, have been involved in such attacks on senior medics and health officials.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2022