LAHORE: Punjab police on Thursday registered two first information reports (FIR), nominating more than 250 lawyers who attacked Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) in Lahore a day earlier, tortured doctors and attendants, and damaged hospital property and police vehicles.
Yesterday, at least three patients including a woman lost their lives and several others were injured after a mob of disgruntled lawyers stormed the facility. According to Grand Health Alliance (GHA) Chairman Dr Salman Haseeb, the number of deceased could increase as some patients – who were said to be in critical condition – were left unattended after the lawyers barged inside emergency wards.
Reportedly, lawyers had staged the violent protest to avenge a group of lawyers, who had been beaten up at the PIC a few weeks ago, soon after some video clips went viral on the social media showing some doctors making fun of the lawyers while recalling the incident.
The FIR was registered on the complaint of the PIC administration at the nearby Shadman police station under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 322 (manslaughter), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their duty),186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions), 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 337-H (2) (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act) and 395 (punishment for dacoity) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The FIR nominated the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) General Secretary Malik Maqsood Khokhar, Vice President Ijaz Basra and presidential-hopeful Rana Intizar among those who were leading the lawyers, provoking them and giving them the instructions that anyone including doctors and medical staff who get in the way “should be unable to get away safely”.
According to the complainant of the FIR, at around noon on Wednesday, he was at his office when the station in-charge informed him via the telephone operator that some 200-250 male and female lawyers were approaching the PIC.
After receiving the information, he told doctors (at the hospital) about it, who arrived at the emergency ward of PIC to alert security about the approaching lawyers.
Approximately half an hour later, 200-250 lawyers, some of whom were carrying weapons and sticks, forcefully entered the PIC by pushing the large contingent of police posted at the emergency ward gate, which they also broke.
As per the FIR, the lawyers divided into various groups entered the various PIC departments including the intensive care unit, operation theatre and radiology department where they tortured the security guards, medical staff and doctors present in the vicinity.
They also broke valuable hospital equipment creating fear among the patients at the hospital and their families. As a result of the destruction, they caused at the hospital, the treatment of patients was suspended which led to the deaths of three patients.
Additionally, doctors’ cars in the parking lot were also damaged. Two security guards posted at the hospital were tortured by the lawyers and after their condition became serious they were shifted to Services Hospital for treatment.
According to the FIR, one group of lawyers also entered and destroyed things inside the nurses’ hospital. The lawyer swore at and harassed the staff. The shirt of the nurses’ hospital in charge was torn and her locket was snatched.
When the situation got out of control, an additional contingent of police arrived at the site and when they attempted to vacate the lawyers from the PIC, some of them started firing.
According to the FIR, the incident lasted approximately two hours. It added that information regarding injuries and damaged equipment will be shared later.
A second FIR, also including ATA sections, was registered on behalf of the Punjab police. According to the complainant Inspector Syed Intikhab Hussain, some lawyers with a pistol and sticks approached his police vehicle and with “an intention to kill, directly fired on him”.
He added that realising the seriousness of the situation, he sat in the car to leave. During this process, his car climbed onto the footpath and lawyers surrounded it and started damaging it.
He said that one of the protesters said to set the police vehicle on fire and to kill the police officials, adding that the protesters fired on the police vehicle and set it on fire.
The case was registered on Wednesday under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 290 (public nuisance), 291 (continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 353 (assault), 324 (attempt to murder), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc) and 186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions) of the PPC.
