Verdict reserved on plea against YDA strike

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday reserved the verdict on maintainability of a petition seeking a ban on young doctors’ strike call on daily basis.

A local resident, Tahir Hussain, moved the petition, submitting that a handful of the young doctors had made it habit to observe strike on petty issues. He said due to young doctors’ strike, provision of health facilities in the hospitals is halted and they did not allow other doctors to work, putting patients’ lives in danger.

He submitted that doctors’ duty fall under definition of essential services and they are bound to provide health services at any cost. He alleged that these doctors play havoc with the lives of the people by closing the emergencies of the public hospitals.

He submitted that these saviours of humanity did not deserve any mercy, when they had no regard for human lives. He said the members of Young Doctors Association were misusing their organisations to blackmail the government for their nefarious designs and were not inclined to serve the humanity.

He requested the court to take stern action against young doctors for observing protests and denying health services to even critical patients in public hospitals. After hearing preliminary arguments, the judge reserved the decision on maintainability of the petition.

LHCBA condemns blast: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) Tuesday condemned the Ferozepur Road suicide attack on police personnel and slammed the government for its alleged failure to eradicate terrorism. Addressing a general house meeting of the bar, president Ch Zulfiqar Ali said the rulers had been spending billions of rupees from the public money for their protection and left the citizens at the mercy of terrorists. He demanded of the government to improve functioning of law enforcement agencies and financial support for the families of the martyred and injured. 

Other speakers said if the Rangers were deployed in Punjab like Karachi and Quetta under the National Action Plan 2015, the law and order situation would have been much better. They slammed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for allegedly keeping friendly relations with Indian PM Modi.

The lawyers lauded the Punjab police for fighting against terrorists as per their limited resources and expressed grief with the families of the martyred personnel.

Enemy of peace:: Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu condemned the bomb blast near Arfa Karim Tower, and said the enemy of peace  would be defeated by promoting among ourselves interfaith harmony, tolerance and brotherhood.

In a message here on Tuesday, the minister expressed grief over the loss of precious lives. He prayed may Pakistan progress as a prosperous and peaceful country.  He said Pakistan was a country of all people living in it and they shared grief and happiness together. "The enemy of Pakistan is the joint enemy of all the religious communities, including Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs as we are united as one nation and will defeat the enemy of peace by promoting among ourselves interfaith harmony, tolerance and brotherhood," he said.