LAHORE/MIANWALI, Aug 10: A division bench of the Supreme Court ordered suspension of Dr Farooq Niazi, Mianwali District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital medical superintendent, and medical officer Dr Zafar Iqbal for their negligence leading to the death of patient Rustam Khan.

The bench, headed by Justice Sardar Raza Khan, also directed the heirs to the deceased to file damages against the health department.

The bench issued these orders while hearing a case referred to the Lahore registry by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who had taken suo moto action on a news report.

The court also rejected the health department officials’ plea for more time to hold an inquiry against the doctors.

Rustam Khan died at the DHQ Hospital on July 7 due to negligence of doctors. Later, an inquiry committee made by the district nazim held doctors Farooq and Zafar responsible for the death.

On the basis of the enquiry report, police registered a murder case against both doctors which triggered doctors’ strike in the district.

On Aug 7, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry took suo moto note of the DHQ hospital affairs on two complaints; one by journalist Rana Muhammad Idress and the other by Muhammad Ajmal Khan, brother of deceased Rustam.