Police baton-charge protesting doctors in Peshawar; detain five
Section 144 has also been imposed in the area since the last few months
June 13, 2017
PESHAWAR: Police baton-charged protesters during a demonstration by the Young Doctors Association (YDA) at Hayatabad Medical Complex on Tuesday.
The doctors had announced to close the different wards of the hospital including the out-patient department (OPD). However, they were stopped by the police.
A heavy contingent of police was deployed outside the wards to control the situation. The doctors tried to walk past the police officers but it resulted in a heated argument and police ultimately baton-charged the protesters to disperse them.
Section 144 has also been imposed in the area since the last few months. As a result, the police also took five suspects into custody.
'If Imran can do it, why can't we'
Speaking to the media, YDA President Dr Gulab Noor Afridi said “If Imran Khan can protest in the Red Zone [in Islamabad] then why can’t the doctors protest at the hospital’s lawn?”
“Protest is our constitutional right,” he said, adding that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police is much worse than the 'Gullu Butts' of Lahore.
Later, Dr Afridi was also detained by the police.
Previously, the YDA have protested outside Lady Reading Hospital and had even set up a hunger strike camp near Sooriya Pul.
The young doctors’ demands include monetary compensation for the martyred doctors, no political interference in the hospital management, security for doctors along with time-scale promotion and professional allowance.
Talking to Geo News later, provincial Health Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai defended his government's policies with regards to the YDA. He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's policies for young doctors are exemplary.
Taraki criticised the YDA's plan to close down the hospital, saying "nowhere in the world are doctors trained so they can close hospitals in pursuit of their demands."
Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ameer Muqam also reached the site to show solidarity with the protesting doctors.
“Imran Khan has destroyed national institutions,” he claimed while speaking to the media. He added there is a clear contradiction between Imran Khan’s words and actions.
“We are here to give a voice to the doctors,” he said.
Protest in Rahim Yar Khan
In Rahim Yar Khan, young doctors held a protest at the Sheikh Zayed hospital after one of their colleagues was arrested on corruption charges.
The doctors surrounded the office of the anti-corruption department and held a protest. During the demonstration, one doctor fainted and was then taken to a hospital in a police vehicle.
