LHC stops YDA from staging sit-in

Advocate General Punjab Ashtar Ali Ausaf says YDA has become a tool of political parties.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court stopped the Young Doctors Association on Tuesday from staging a sit-in in front of Chief Minister House on Wednesday and summoned the senior office bearers of the association.

The court observed that patients should not be left in the lurch or at the mercy of medical staff. Justice Ijazul Ahsan issued an interim stay order on a petition appealed by the Punjab government, seeking directions to restrain the YDA from staging sit-in.

Earlier on Tuesday, Advocate General Punjab Ashtar Ali Ausaf appeared before the court and contended that the YDA had called for a sit-in before the chief minister house to press their demands for a service structure. He added that a government committee was currently negotiating with the YDA over the issue of service structure but the doctors had announced a protest.

Most of the demands of the YDA had been accepted through negotiations and only two including one-step promotion had yet to be finalised, Ausaf added. The Punjab advocate general also pointed out that the YDA has become a tool of political parties and had given the sit-in call at the behest of political elements. He requested the court to restrain YDA doctors from staging sit-ins and protests.

After hearing initial arguments of top provincial law officers, the court summoned YDA leadership to appear before the court in the afternoon.

As court resumed the hearing, it was informed that the YDA representatives had refused to appear before the court despite the message being conveyed to those who were present at Punjab Governor house.

The advocate general again appealed to the court to issue a stay order against the sit-in.

Following this, Justice Ahsan remarked that poor patients should not be left at the mercy of protests and agitations. The court issued an interim stay order against the sit-in and summoned the leadership of YDA for November 7.