LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Tuesday took notice of a ‘threatening’ phone call by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Sumsam Bokhari to doctors and sought a report from the Punjab health secretary.

The chief justice was hearing a petition seeking burial of Covid-19 patients in separate graveyards when he referred to a leaked phone call of Mr Bokhari wherein he threatened senior doctors with dire consequences for not entertaining his demand.

Chief Justice Khan observed that the parliamentarian, in a midnight call, hurled threats at doctors and pressurised the entire health department.

“Is there a different law for rulers and commoners?” he wondered.

The CJ directed the secretary for primary healthcare to submit a report on the matter and apprise whether body of a Covid-19 patient was handed over to the deceased’s family after the threatening call made by MPA Bokhari to doctors of Depalpur.

Chief Justice Khan also adjourned for next week hearing of the petition by citizen, Syed Husnain Haider.

The petitioner contended that patients of coronavirus were supposed to be kept in isolation due to the fear of the spread of the infection.

He said the patients in case of death were being buried under strict precautionary measures in graveyards.

The petitioner argued that the people died of the virus should be buried in separate graveyards to avoid spread of the infection.

He asked the court to order the government to immediately restrain burial of coronavirus patients in public graveyards.

He also sought a direction for the government authorities to establish dedicated graveyards for the coronavirus victims.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2020