SAHIWAL: Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Hayat on Friday granted pre-arrest bail to 25 leaders and workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) who were booked for holding a convention on June 9 at Anjum Farms.

The judge directed the political workers and leaders to submit new surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.

Ghala Mandi Police had booked 725 PTI leaders and workers and nominated 25 of them under various sections, including sections of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) Act-2015 and Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The case was registered on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Zafar Iqbal of the Bypass Police check post. The convention was hosted by Chaudhry Asif at his private property, Anjum Farms.

In the first information report, the police blamed the PTI leaders and workers for chanting slogans against the state institutions and the government. They said the PTI leaders had not obtained the no objection certificate (NOC) from the district government for holding the event.

Rai Hasan Nawaz, a PTI MNA, said as the convention was held at a private property, the NOC was not required.

Rana Amir Shahzad, a PTI runner-up candidate from NA-141, Sahiwal I, confirmed to Dawn that all nominated persons’ protective bail had been approved and the surety bonds were submitted with the court.

Those granted bail included Rai Hasan Nawaz, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Chaudhry Muhammad Usman (MNAs), retired Maj Sarwar (MPA), Rana Aftab (district president PTI), Chaudhry Asif, Rao Naseem Hashim, Mian Sajad Nasir, Faisal Jalal Dhakko, Tariq Irshad, Muhammad Yar Damra, Chaudhry Saleem Sadiq, Rana Amir Shahzad, Ali Raza Gillani, Naeem Ibrahim, Arshad Niazi, Tariq Khagga, Waheed Asghar Dogar, Naheed Wattoo, Saleem Sadiq, Shakeel Khan Niazi, Riaz Arshad, Shaikh Muhammad Chohan and Sardar Asad Khan Baloch

DOCTORS PROTEST: The doctors and paramedics of the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital continued their protest for the seventh day as the stand-off between them and the health department continues.

A protest camp is being organised by the Young Doctors Association, Young Nurses Associations, Pakistan Medical Association and Allied Staff Association in front of the surgical tower of the hospital. The protesters staged a protest sit-in, held a protest walk and chanted slogans against the health department and the Punjab government for ignoring their demands.

The hospital staff halted their work at the outpatient departments (OPDs) and general wards against the suspension of their Medical Superintendent Dr Umer Farooq and police action against the protesting doctors. Doctors were available only in emergency wards while the patients suffered and asked the CM to resolve the issue.

The Sahiwal Teaching Hospital is the only hospital between Lahore and Multan catering to the needs of about 6.3m people.

The doctors’ protest continued from the day Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz visited the hospital to inquire into the reasons for the fire incident which had claimed the lives of 11 babies, many of them newborns. She ordered the arrest and termination of service of four senior doctors, including Prof Imran Hasan, the principal of Sahiwal Medical College.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2024