PMA criticises PM for ‘protecting MNA Dasti’

MUZAFFARABAD: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has criticised Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for his statement on the floor of the National Assembly on Thursday urging the PML-N to stop, what was being described as his, “imminent arrest” of PPP lawmaker Jamshed Dasti.

Dasti is accused of torturing doctors and nurses at a hospital in Muzaffargarh last month. The incident took place after a patient died at the hospital due to what was being alleged as doctors’ negligence.

President of the Muzaffargarh chapter of the PMA, Dr Maqbool Alam, announced that a black day would be observed in all state-run hospitals of South Punjab against the premier’s statement.

He said all doctors would wear black armbands at hospitals. Dr Alam said the government was responsible for taking action against Dasti according to the law. But, he regretted that the prime minister stopped the Punjab government from arresting him. “It’s a direct intervention in the process of justice,” he added. Dr Alam said Dasti was nominated in the FIR of a serious offence and footage aired by private TV channels showed that he was also involved in the torture of doctors and nurses.

The Doctors Action Committee and the Young Doctors Association also expressed serious concerns over the prime minister’s remarks. They appealed to the Supreme Court and the Lahore High Court to take notice of the matter. On the other hand, Jamsheed Dasti claimed that he was wrongly implicated in the doctors’ torture case.

“I had gone there to reconcile the doctors and relatives of the patient who died at the hospital but police registered a case against me. “Now my house is being raided and my mother is being tormented,” Dasti told journalists in Muzaffargarh.

He said there was no difference between former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. However, the PMA president alleged that Dasti has made up the story of police raids on his house, saying that the PPP lawmaker was present in the district courts on Thursday in front of police officials.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2010.