ISLAMABAD - On Wednesday, a mob of lawyers under the name of ‘peaceful protest’ attacked Punjab Institute of Cardiology which turned vicious and caused up to six deaths of patients admitted in the hospital.
This brutal act was done in retaliation to a video posted on social media in which a doctor poked fun at lawyers who tried to force police to take him into custody for not treating one of them on a priority basis.
In the video, the doctor—a member of the Young Doctors Association—narrated that a group of lawyers had gone to the Inspector General Of Police and urged him to charge two doctors under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
On Wednesday afternoon, a large group of lawyers started marching from Mall Road and travelled to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology.
The protest quickly turned violent after the lawyers closed the entrance and exit points of the hospital and then started throwing stones and bricks.
Pictures and videos from the site show damaged equipment inside the hospital.
The rioting lawyers also damaged cars parked in the hospital and even broke windows.
The emergency ward, where patients receive critical care, was also not spared, spreading panic.
However, after this shameful act, the lawyers community is still defending this act of hooliganism which caused six patients to die according to sources.
In an exclusive talk with The Nation on Thursday, ex-President Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) Mr Raja Aleem stated that the act of lawyers on Wednesday was surely not commendable but he stressed that the whole lawyers community was being disgraced on the action of a few.
He further elaborated that the doctors community was not being questioned by either the media or the authorities as they were the ones who started this.
IHCBA ex-president Mr Aleem explained that the protest of lawyers in Lahore resulted in retaliation to the incident when three lawyers were harshly beaten by the doctors of Punjab Institute of Cardiology and the authorities remained silent despite of several complaints.
And then following that action, a member of Young Doctors Association uploaded a video in which he poked and made fun of the lawyers community.
According to the former president Islamabad High Court Bar Association, the media and the government were portraying a wrong image of the lawyers community and was supporting one-sided story.
Moreover, Advocate Islamabad High Court Mr Abdullah Abbasi said, “wrong image is being portrayed and media is showing biasness in this regard.”
He briefed that this was a conspiracy being planted by the bigger players to humiliate the lawyer scommunity which is the only strong community left.
However, different legal experts on talk shows like Hafiz-ur-Rehman President Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and Vice President LHCBA were seen defending the violent protest of lawyers.
They were also noted as saying that the protest was peaceful.
The question is that whether the international conventions and International Court of Justice would condemn such action? No! Never.
Even during wars, countries are not allowed to attack on hospitals.
The international conventions are very clear regarding this subject.
However, there are several other occasions where lawyers had taken things for granted and caused destruction in the country.
What will our legal pundits decide on this recent brutality by the lawyers is the main question?
Will the involved lawyers be held accountable for the killings of patients and the destruction in the hospital or the matter will be foreshadowed like before?
