Wednesday 11 December 2019 shall be remembered as the darkest day in the history of Pakistan when a large group of lawyers stormed the Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore killing four patients besides 25 wounded as reported initially. They not only attacked and beat up doctors and medical staff but even did not spare the patients who were admitted due to heart ailment. What could have been their plight when they were attacked one trembles seeing the videos? As reported attack was reaction of a video against some lawyer uploaded by Doctor and that went viral. Having seen the video there is nothing objectionable that could irritate such large number of lawyers and attack the hospital. We find on daily basis social media cluttered with even worst videos against Prime Minister and other leaders but there has never been any mild reaction what to talk about such violent reaction.
According to Geneva Convention even when the countries are at war, hospitals and ambulances are never attacked, and during peace time in civilised countries of the world the ambulances and fire tenders are never attacked and are allowed quick un hindered passage mainly to save costly lives. We daily hear stories about individual disputes taking place in various government offices between public and officers but never witnessed such ugly violence. This is not a case in isolation lawyers in the past have been attacking judges, ransacking their offices when they fail to get decisions in their favour. Same day in Muzaffargarh group of lawyers went rampage. Actually after the restoration of former CJ Iftikhar Choudhry somehow or the other lawyers think they can do anything and get away consider it as a matter of right to take law in their own hand. Whatever may be the reasons, how hurt they were there was no justification on their part to behave in that manner and that must be condemned. Anyone coming in their support shall not be doing any good to them but would be causing more harm to the entire community. It was shameful on the part of lawyers to beat up provincial minister Fayazul Hassan Chohan who was there to persuade the lawyers to stop this non sense. Chohan deserves appreciation to be present at the scene of incidence and can be seen trying to calm down the lawyers but in actual fact he was being lured in to order the police to open fire. The wisdom prevailed and Chohan risking his life went in to the crowd and trying to stop lawyers against this rowdyism. One can see the video where lawyer is pulling his hairs after identification that lawyer must be punished. Punjab government has moved quickly and have arrested 250 lawyers and have been sent to jail, in fact all lawyers present in the attack on PIC should face the consequences and be tried summarily and given deterrent punishment.
Media has at times faced worst ordeal but never indulged in such wanton attack. Issues are to be resolved in decent manner. It is strange that few prominent senior lawyers are trying to twist the facts in support of lawyers by doing that they are not helping them but doing much harm to them. It is nonsense to talk about third force when everything is crystal clear. Why they destroyed and damaged costly equipment of different departments of PIC and why the doctors on duty were tortured. Why the parked cars were damaged, why police vehicle was torched. It is heartening to note some prominent lawyers like Aitzaz Ahsan, Babar Sattar have strongly condemned this behaviour on the part of lawyers and have demanded strict action against them as per law,
Unfortunately our bar councils and associations did not come up to the expectations of the people. It would have been more appropriate to issue public apology on the conduct of lawyers showing sympathy with the aggrieved and calling for strict action against both sides as per law and asking government to adequately compensate the families of victims who died due to hooliganism. But they decided to side with the lawyers have simply tarnished their image. Apart from this the wisdom displayed by Punjab Bar Council in calling strike and threatening them not to go to courts was in a bad taste. When tempers are high, the mood of the people should always be kept in mind. It is really a sorry state of affairs that our bar councils and associations failed to exert themselves and retrieve the situation. It is never too late. LHC has ruled that lawyers must seek public apology over PIC attack, wonders how lawyers dared storm hospitals. We have added new chapter in our history by attacking cardiac hospital where movement is restricted and even relatives have to wait to see their patients. This incident will always be agitating our minds for all times to come. My humble request to senior lawyers and bar council honourable members to remain neutral and make new rules where such incidents are not repeated. Punjab government has announced compensation to bereaved families one million cash besides treatment to wounded at government expense. Damaged portion of hospital is being repaired, soon PIC will be operational but it will take time before wounds are healed. Punjab government has posted Rangers on important buildings including PIC.This incident has left many questions to be answered by the government. As reported intelligence branch had conveyed lawyers may resort to such violent action against the doctors, what precautions were taken by provincial government? Why police was not deployed? Why Rangers were not deployed? When lawyers started march towards PIC why police did not stop them enroot? Police behaved like silent spectator till such time the things went out of control. The way lawyers have attacked a sensitive hospital damaged property and equipment makes it abundantly clear it was well prepared scheme and executed like a planned operation calls for detailed investigation and unearth the conspirators who are playing in the hands of the enemy. It is time government takes it seriously and goes to the root cause, its sponsors and facilitators. The role of media has been equally disturbing while debating the PIC incident the target was Ahsanullah Niazi who happened to be nephew of Prime Minister was also present during storming of PIC but nobody mentioned that he is bitter enemy of Imran Khan whose father Hafeezullah Khan is staunch supporter of PML N and we see him quite often on TV channels supporting Nawaz Sharif. Media is gradually losing its credibility and soon people may decide to switch over to social media.
In all probabilities it was a planned move to defame the government and create a situation forcing army to step in. Government has to be careful you cannot allow handful of mischief mongers to destabilise the country.