LAHORE, Jan 18: The Lahore High Court on Friday sought replies from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and the Young Doctors Association (YDA) on a writ petition seeking action again doctors for observing strikes.

Judicial Activism Panel Chairman Muhammad Azhar Siddique filed this petition pleading that holding protests at the cost of patients’ lives was an act of criminal negligence.

He argued that the YDA had not only crossed the limits but also provoked certain actions which were not only in violation of fundamental rights as well as offence of sedition as stated in Section 142-A of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The petitioner said the Punjab government had placed the services of doctors in “Essential Services” as provided in the Punjab Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1958, therefore, the doctors and the government were bound to facilitate patients without any hurdle and restriction.

He prayed to the court to issue directions to PMDC and other regulatory bodies of doctors to take punitive action, including cancellation of practicing licences of protesting doctors.

After hearing the initial arguments, Justice Ijazul Ahsan sought replies from the respondents by Jan 25.

Disqualification case

The Lahore High Court chief justice on Friday adjourned a petition seeking disqualification of PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Wajahat Husain on charges of committing rigging in polls.

The defeated candidate of PPP from NA-104, Gujrat, Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gill, filed the petition alleging Husain of rigging the polls, subverting election process and violating the Representation of the People’s Act 1976.

Petitioner’s counsel completed his arguments and furnished documentary evidence to establish the case against the MNA.

The court directed the respondent’s counsel to hold cross examination on the next hearing, Feb 8.

Hearing another petition against PPP Senator Babar Awan, the court directed the senator’s counsel to come up with final arguments on Feb 1.

Advocate Shahid Jami filed this petition alleging that Awan accumulated assets which mismatched with the amount of income tax paid by him. He also alleged that the respondent was not paying agricultural tax despite holding agricultural land.

The petitioner said the respondent also ridiculed judiciary for which the Supreme Court had already suspended his practicing licence.

The lawyer prayed that election commission’s decision of accepting Awan’s nomination papers for Senate polls should be set aside.