Patient’s death probe panel told to issue verdict by Feb 20

Court acquits man of murder charges after seven years as prosecution failed to present evidence

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Monday directed the Punjab Healthcare Commission to issue a verdict by February 20 in an inquiry into the death of a patient at the Benazir Bhutto General Hospital (BBH) allegedly due to the negligence of doctors.

The directive was passed by LHC-Rawalpindi Bench’s Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin while hearing a petition filed Shazia Kausar, the daughter of the Fehmida Kausar who died at BBH 13 months ago.

Shazia had contended that her mother had died on November 8, 2017, due to an alleged cardiac pulmonary arrest even though she had been brought to the hospital with complaints of brain haemorrhage during treatment but accused Dr Mehwish Shahzadi, Dr Ayesha Niazi and Dr Bilal Khalid were negligent which caused her mother’s condition to deteriorate and ultimately cause death.

She said that she had consulted the Punjab Healthcare Commission but the body did not give a verdict even after 13 months. During Monday’s hearing, the Punjab healthcare commission’s counsel told the court that they will issue a verdict by February 20.

At this, Justice Amin remarked that February 20 should not turn into February 21 under any circumstance.

Man acquitted of murder charges

A two-member Lahore High Court (LHC) -Rawalpindi Bench, comprising Justice Qasim Ali Khan and Justice Tariq Abbasi has acquitted a man who had been sentenced to death and fined Rs200,000 for an alleged murder within the remits of the Westridge police station. The petitioner’s counsel said that his client, Abdul Ghafoor had been arrested by the Westridge on charges of murdering Abdul Shakoor on September 7, 2102.

However, he said that the prosecution could not present any eyewitness to the crime nor could it present evidence which proved that Ghafoor was guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Anti-state slogans

An anti-terror court on Monday confirmed the bail of Diwan Shamim Akhtar, who had been arrested by the Secretariat police for allegedly raising slogans against state institutions. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2019.