Contempt plea filed against doctors’ protest

Applicant cites LHC’s order restraining medical staff from observing strikes

LAHORE: A petitioner has sought contempt proceedings against doctors for allegedly violating the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order restraining the young doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied service providers from observing strikes.

The Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) filed the civil miscellaneous application in the LHC through Advocate Azhar Siddique. It prayed that a report on steps taken for compliance with orders passed by court’s single bench in November last year be placed on record. It also called for initiation of appropriate proceedings against those who violated the orders by holding strikes or causing blockage of roads, including the Mall Road.

It implored that during the earlier proceedings Justice Jawad Hassan, through interim orders, had directed the respondents to avoid any call for strike and restrained the doctors from staging any protest in any hospital, warning that such an act would be tantamount to contempt.

Doctors’ protests cause traffic jam in city

The petitioner cited the November 5 order that “meanwhile, the Respondent No. 8 will ensure the provision of uninterrupted health service/facilities to the general public in indoor, outdoor and emergencies at government hospitals without any delay.”

The petition added that the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) held a protest demonstration in front of Punjab Assembly on Monday against the Punjab Medical Teaching Institutes (Reforms) Act, 2019 (PMTIA). A large number of young consultants, doctors, nurses, paramedics, allied health professionals and healthcare associations staged a sit-in at Faisal Chowk, The Mall, which caused a traffic jam on adjacent roads. A minor clash took place between the protesters and police when they tried to march towards the assembly building.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2020.