QUETTA, July 2: The Young Doctors’ Association of Balochistan observed a token strike in Quetta and other parts of the province on Monday to express solidarity with young doctors of Punjab and condemned the police action against striking doctors.

The doctors reported for work in the morning, but later went on a four-hour token strike, closing all OPDs in government hospitals in the provincial capital and other parts of the province.

“The token strike was observed in Balochistan to express solidarity with the Punjab doctors who were beaten up and their hostels and other places were raided by police,” Dr Mustafa Jaffar said.

The strike continued from 9am to 1pm in the Quetta Civil Hospital, Bolan Medical College Hospital and other government hospitals.

Patients who came to these government hospitals faced hardship because of the strike and had to go to private hospitals.

Dr Alam Mengal, the Vice President of Young Doctors’ Association of Balochistan, held a press conference in the evening and condemned the police action against the striking doctors of Punjab.

Supporting the demands of Punjab’s doctors, he said that instead of accepting the demands of the striking young doctors, the Punjab government was threatening them with termination and blacklisting them.

He asked as to why the Punjab chief minister did not take action against demonstrators who ransacked and burnt government property on the issue of loadshedding.

He said that instead of arresting young doctors, the Punjab government should accept their demands and release all doctors immediately.