KARACHI, March 14: As part of the continuing protest against the government’s failure to apprehend those responsible for the killing of doctors and to take effective measures for providing protection to them, members of the medical profession in the city suspended work for one hour on Thursday as token protest.

From 10am to 11am, doctors and paramedics in all the city hospitals, clinics and health centres stopped attending to patients and held protest meetings at their workplaces. They also wore black armbands throughout the day as a mark of protest.

A major protest meeting was held at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where the PMA President, Prof Tipu Sultan, spoke about growing unrest among doctors arising from the continuing senseless killing of their colleagues.

He said doctors would continue their protest until the government took effective actions for redressal of doctors’ complaints. He said from Friday onwards a two-hour token protest would be observed daily.

The Medical Superintendent of the ASH, Prof Azfar Moin, also expressed anguish at the killing of doctors and demanded of the government to take immediate action to ensure security of life to doctors.

The President of the Sindh Paramedical Staff Association, Mohammed Musharraf, speaking at the meeting, announced total support of his association to the ongoing protest.

A large number of students of Sindh Medical College and Dow Medical College staged a protest demonstration outside Karachi Press Club on Thursday, PPI adds.

The demonstration was organized by the Islami Jamiat Talaba. Protesters held placards carrying the demand for the arrest of those behind the targeted killing of doctors.

Speakers demanded of the government to improve law and order and ensure security of life to doctors and the general public.