BAHAWALNAGAR: Following protest by scores of residents of Behramka Hathar village on Sunday at Minchinabad Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, the medical superintendent re-examined a matter pertaining to issuance of a false medico-legal certificate and corrected the document.

According to the protesters, on July some politically influential men thrashed a 17-year-old youth, Samar, and threatened to shoot him in the presence of his mother, when he was cutting fodder in the fields at the village.

The youth was rescued by some locals who reached the scene after hearing his cries.

The victim’s father, Usman Sheikh, told the media persons that after he reported the matter to the local police, some policemen inspected the crime scene and recorded statements of eyewitnesses.

He alleged that Minchinabad deputy superintendent, in connivance with the attackers, stopped the police from registering a case. He said on July 22 the attackers went to the local THQ hospital and tried to get a fake MLC of one of their relatives, Ahmad Baloch, but the duty doctor Saleem Akhtar Lashari refused to issue the document.

He alleged that later, another Medical Officer Dr Ibrahim issued a fake MLC to them after receiving bribe.

The protesters, however, peacefully dispersed after THQ Medical Superintendent Dr Waheed Afsar Bajwa assured them that he would inquire into the matter.

Dr Bajawa confirmed to Dawn that Dr Saleem Akhtar had refused to issue MCL to Ahmad Baloch, but later Dr Ibrahim declared him injured and issued the document.

He said that after the protest, the case was re-examined by him and other doctors, who found the injuries of Baloch self-inflicted and the MLC was accordingly corrected.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2022