Sanctity of hospitals

In peace time it is unheard that an elected government would allow even peaceful or agitated protesters to stage a protest in front of a hospital, especially one like the Punjab Cardiology Center in Lahore which caters for patients suffering from cardiac deceases. The PIC offers subsidized quality medical care to poor citizens from all over Punjab. It is unfortunate that lack of political will on the part of numerous successive governments, including the present, have encouraged both young doctors and lawyers groups to take the law in their hands.

It was gross criminal negligence by the Punjab government to knowingly allowed agitated lawyers to proceed to the PIC to stage their protest, especially given their history of resorting to violence. It seems even minimum use of force such as water cannons, baton charging was not used because of fear of political fallout from lawyers keeping in view elections due for the Punjab Bar. It is therefore logical to conclude that both government and bureaucracy were willing to put at stake the safety of patients.

M Tariq Ali

Lahore