Doctor’s beating: Health worker’s spouse, accomplice arrested

Accused of beating doctor for questioning health worker over absence from work, allegedly supported by PML-N MPA.

FAISALABAD:

Two men were arrested by City Jaranwala police on Saturday for beating a doctor on Friday night for questioning a lady health worker over her absence from work.

An FIR was registered in the matter against four people including the lady health worker, Khalida Khanum, her husband Yaseen Sial and two others allegedly affiliated with MPA Rai Ejaz Ahmad Kharal.

Earlier, the Rural Doctors’ Association staged a demonstration against the incident and boycotted work for over five hours.

City Jaranwala SHO said raids were underway to arrest the other two suspects.

Khanum’s husband and his accomplices were accused of beating Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital assistant medical superintendent Dr Sohail Tariq (AMS) at the hospital on Friday.

The beating allegedly followed an argument between the AMS and the LHW over the latter’s absence from work. The FIR said Khanum called her husband and other men who threatened AMS Tariq with dire consequences for objecting to Khanum’s absence from service. The FIR quoted the attackers as saying that they were supported by the MPA and would get the AMS sacked in a day if he didn’t stop ‘threatening the LHW’.

MPA Rae Kharal rejected that any of his supporters were involved in the incident. He told The Express Tribune that police were investigating the matter and if any of his supporters were found to be involved in beating the doctor they would be handed over to the police for prosecution. “I am not the kind of politician who supports unlawful act by his workers,” he said.

AMS Tariq told The Tribune he had sought an explanation from the LHW for her absence from work. On Friday, he said, the LHW and her supporters came to his office and demanded that he withdraw the notice and started beating him on his refusal.

The beating was followed by a five-hour long demonstration by RDA and paramedical staff of the hospital. The protesters chanted slogans against the MPA and accused him of encouraging hooligans.

The protest ended after a case was registered in the incident. District Coordination Officer Naseem Sadiq had also approached the protesters and assured them of action against the LHW.

The FIR was registered under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2012.