Dera Bugti conflict: IDP’s death sparks protest, sit in outside Shifa hospital
The protesters were unsure of their specific demands.
The protesters were unsure of their specific demands. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Over 150 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Dera Bugti staged a protest outside the main outpatient department (OPD) entrance of Shifa International Hospital (SIH) on Wednesday. The angry IDP were gathered after Islamabad administration asked the hospital to refrain from handing over the body of an IDP who died early morning.
The protesters gathered outside the main OPD and demanded that the hospital administration to hand over the body.
According to SIH officials, Gulsher, 22 from Dera Bugti, was pronounced dead at 3 am on Wednesday. He was brought to the hospital from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) nine days back with chronic meningitis and was already brain dead.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Gulsher’s older brother Gul Hassan said they were among the 500 IDPs who have been protesting outside the National Press Club for the last two months. They have been demanding permission to return to Dera Bugti.
The brothers used to live in Peer Koh, Dera Bugti, but in 2006, when a military operation started in the area, they were among 14 family members who migrated to Hyderabad.
“I want to bury my brother where he wanted,” Gul said.
Meanwhile, talking to The Express Tribune, Jamhori Watan Party (JWP) leader Nawabzada Gohram Bugti, who was leading the protesters, was uncertain about what they actually wanted to do with the body.
Earlier, he said that all they wanted was for the hospital administration to hand over the body so they could take it to Dera Bugti for burial.
Later, he said they want the body so that they can take it to parliament and protest for their rights.
Bugti demanded that the National Assembly speaker come and resolve the issue and also for the Army chief to release a statement in which he clearly states the date when Dera Bugti will become safe enough for them to return home. He said the protesters will go on hunger strike from Thursday if their demands are not fulfilled and they will stay within the hospital premises.
JWP President Shahzain Bugti said all the IDPs from Dera Bugti are living in deplorable conditions in different cities of the country, but the government is not paying heed towards their demands.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amir Ali Ahmad told The Express Tribune that the administration had restrained the hospital from handing over the body because the protesters wanted to take it to D-Chowk and protest.
“The government does not want them to disrespect the body,” he said.
He said that the Islamabad administration has allowed them to take the body and bury it wherever they want to, but with respect and dignity.
He added that the government had paid Rs400,000 to cover treatment charges for the deceased.
He said the government has also offered to store the body at either the Pims, Polyclinic or SIH mortuary till Saturday — when the next flight from Islamabad to Sukkur is scheduled. The protesters initially agreed to this but ‘changed their minds’ when the JWP leaders showed up.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2013.
Over 150 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Dera Bugti staged a protest outside the main outpatient department (OPD) entrance of Shifa International Hospital (SIH) on Wednesday. The angry IDP were gathered after Islamabad administration asked the hospital to refrain from handing over the body of an IDP who died early morning.
The protesters gathered outside the main OPD and demanded that the hospital administration to hand over the body.
According to SIH officials, Gulsher, 22 from Dera Bugti, was pronounced dead at 3 am on Wednesday. He was brought to the hospital from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) nine days back with chronic meningitis and was already brain dead.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Gulsher’s older brother Gul Hassan said they were among the 500 IDPs who have been protesting outside the National Press Club for the last two months. They have been demanding permission to return to Dera Bugti.
The brothers used to live in Peer Koh, Dera Bugti, but in 2006, when a military operation started in the area, they were among 14 family members who migrated to Hyderabad.
“I want to bury my brother where he wanted,” Gul said.
Meanwhile, talking to The Express Tribune, Jamhori Watan Party (JWP) leader Nawabzada Gohram Bugti, who was leading the protesters, was uncertain about what they actually wanted to do with the body.
Earlier, he said that all they wanted was for the hospital administration to hand over the body so they could take it to Dera Bugti for burial.
Later, he said they want the body so that they can take it to parliament and protest for their rights.
Bugti demanded that the National Assembly speaker come and resolve the issue and also for the Army chief to release a statement in which he clearly states the date when Dera Bugti will become safe enough for them to return home. He said the protesters will go on hunger strike from Thursday if their demands are not fulfilled and they will stay within the hospital premises.
JWP President Shahzain Bugti said all the IDPs from Dera Bugti are living in deplorable conditions in different cities of the country, but the government is not paying heed towards their demands.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amir Ali Ahmad told The Express Tribune that the administration had restrained the hospital from handing over the body because the protesters wanted to take it to D-Chowk and protest.
“The government does not want them to disrespect the body,” he said.
He said that the Islamabad administration has allowed them to take the body and bury it wherever they want to, but with respect and dignity.
He added that the government had paid Rs400,000 to cover treatment charges for the deceased.
He said the government has also offered to store the body at either the Pims, Polyclinic or SIH mortuary till Saturday — when the next flight from Islamabad to Sukkur is scheduled. The protesters initially agreed to this but ‘changed their minds’ when the JWP leaders showed up.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2013.