The Young Doctors Association (YDA) ended their protest outside the Pakistan Medical Association (PMC) building against the National Licensing Exam (NLE) after meeting with Islamabad deputy commissioner.

“From tomorrow, everyone will protest in their respective hospitals,” the YDA president said after 20 of their colleagues were arrested by the police earlier in the day following clashes. 

A 5-member delegation of the YDA later held a meeting with the deputy commissioner of Islamabad, where the government official told them that they would have to clear the roads once the police let go of the detained medics.

The YDA had earlier demanded the release of their detained colleagues, saying that if the administration does not let them go, then the organization would hold protests across the country.

According to police, the young doctors attacked the police and the PMC building, forcing them to baton charge them, besides firing tear gas shells, and eventually arresting some people.

The YDA claimed that the protests were peaceful. The police refuted their stance, saying that while peaceful protests are allowed under the Constitution, they had resort to force in this case in order to save government property.