Bloody scuffle: MPA, guards thrash hospital security staff

Complaints filed by both parties; police say case will be registered after verifying facts.

FAISALABAD: A Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker and his guards allegedly manhandled and thrashed security guards of Allied Hospital in Faisalabad after they stopped them from entering the premises. The lawmaker also snatched the weapons from the guards and took them away.

The hospital management told The Express Tribune that Rana Shoaib Idrees visited the surgical ward of the hospital along with his armed guards at around 11pm.

However, the watchmen on duty asked the MPA to wait till the doctors completed their round. At this, Idrees and his gunmen got infuriated and thrashed the watchmen. When other hospital guards tried to intervene, they were also beaten up.

Eventually people and doctors intervened and stopped the MPA and his guards. The hospital administration said an inquiry into the incident has been ordered.

Counter allegations

Idrees told The Express Tribune he went to the hospital to visit a patient and while he was entering the surgical ward, the security staff manhandled him. “When my gunmen came to know about the matter, they rushed to the spot and rescued me from them,” he added.

The MPA also claimed that dozens of Allied Hospital employees attacked him and he had to seek help from his personal guards to save his life. “Two of my guards were also injured in the scuffle,” the MPA said.

The lawmaker alleged he was tortured and insulted and now he would move a privilege motion in the assembly over the issue. He denied the allegations of thrashing the hospital employees and instead, accused them of misbehaving with the patients.

Registration of cases

The hospital security staff has submitted a written complaint at the Civil Lines police station for registering a case against MPA Idrees. The complaint states the lawmaker and his gunmen tortured the watchmen of the hospital when they stopped him from entering the facility.

On the other hand, Idrees has also filed a complaint at the Civil Lines police station, alleging he was manhandled, misbehaved with and maltreated by the security staff of the hospital.

Civil Lines SHO Maghfoor Ahmad told The Express Tribune that applications have been received from both parties, accusing each other of manhandling and torture. “Both the parties claimed they suffered injuries during the clash but none of them could furnish a medico-legal certificate,” he pointed out.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2017.