Involvement of MPAs in hospital incident: PHC CJ orders AG to take up issue with KP Assembly speaker

PESHAWAR: Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday directed the Advocate General to take up with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker the incident involving two lawmakers accused of creating law and order situation and misbehaving with healthcare staff at a public sector hospital.

The chief justice expressed concern over recent reports about two lawmakers who allegedly ransacked public properties at the hospital and misbehaved with doctors and other staff members.

“The doctors and health staff are fighting against Covid-19 in the frontline and everyone should support and encourage them instead of creating hurdles for them,” the chief justice observed.

He said that the MPAs were supposed to make legislation instead of interfering in the work of

others. Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan said the lawmakers were responsible people and should work for the welfare of the public and provide them with more facilities.

The police have lodged a case against two Members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for their involvement in a clash at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, ransacking public property and creating law and order situation.

The case was lodged under Sections 186, 506, 427 and 341 of the Pakistan Penal Code against Pakistan People’s Party’s female MPA Nighat Orakzai and MPA of the Balochistan Awami Party, Shafiq Afridi, along with other unidentified people on the complaint of the director of the hospital.

The two were booked for leading a protest after the death of a young boy who was brought to the hospital in a critically wounded condition from Jamrud on April 30. The relatives of the wounded boy Umar started a protest, alleging he died due to negligence of the doctors.

The protesters were later joined by the two MPAs, who allegedly pelted stones at the hospital and ransacked the public property. The FIR also mentioned that the MPAs and protesters clashed with the policemen who arrived there to maintain law and order and misbehaved with nurses, doctors and other staff at the emergency department of the hospital. The doctors serving at the HMC as well as those from other hospitals later warned they would stage protests if action was not taken against the MPAs.