The second historic event was; the march Young Doctors Association (YDA) started towards the Inauguration site of Metro Bus service to get noticed by the Chief Minister Punjab, Khadim-e-Alaa, Shahbaz Sharif sb. YDA was already on a hunger strike since the 4th February, 2013, to press the Punjab government to drop cases against members of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab in Gujranwala and accept other demands. Six days had passed and no provincial government official contacted the YDA to settle their demands. According to media reports then: The YDA officials said that their demands included the provision of free medicines and tests to patients at public hospitals across the Punjab and the repair of faulty machinery; justice for the young doctors in the Gujranwala case; full implementation of the service structure agreement; the cancellation of all transfers and terminations of YDA members after the Gujranwala incident; and an end to the “victimization” of YDA members. These demands went unheard and the young doctors started a March from Jail Road to the inauguration site.
In the meanwhile Punjab police charged a crackdown towards the peaceful protesting March by YDA and started baton thrashing on the participants. Then they charged towards the Services hospital where YDA had set up hunger strike camps. Once the police entered premesis of Services Hospital, Doctors were thrashed, slapped, beaten by batons, dragged, arrested and thrown into police vans. Punjab Police spared no one, even the female doctors, their families were man handled.
Mr.
Shaukat Basra (PPP leader, Deputy Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly) who was
incidentally in the Services Hospital premises for his father’s treatment came
for rescue of doctors and their families. There were bitter sentences exchanged
between Shaukat Basra sb and SP Police (Model Town) Mr. Owais Malik. While
their conversation was talking place, police officers standing around Mr. Basra
started dragging, slapping and thrashing him with batons from all over. In this
event, he received wounds on his brow bone, head and back. He was given
emergency treatment in the hospital. Upon talking to the media Mr. Basra termed
this police storming of the hospital as an act of “terrorism by police” at the behest of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Basra, who suffered
wounds, announced that he would lodge an FIR against Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif. On the other hand; SP Model Town Owais Malik, accused Basra of provoking doctors. 
Interestingly, there are two things to be noted
here: One; The pomp and show created by Punjab Government for inauguration
ceremony of Rapid Metro Bus, the millions of rupees worth advertisements spent in
electronic media, newspapers, all around Lahore, the dancers, Bhangra Dhols,
Balloons for decoration, the tinsels, Pak/Turkey flags were all paid by tax
payers’ money. The millions of rupees worth lunch hosted for everyone too were
paid by the tax payers of Punjab, gone from my kitty and your wallet. This all spent
for PML (n)’s own election campaign to gain “Rapid Votes.” It is estimated
30,000 bus passengers will take benefit from this Metro Bus, one wonders, and
what will those 300,000 passengers of buses, cars, motor-bikes do? Millions of
drivers along this bus track will suffer due to the ill planned U-Turns,
wasting millions of rupees worth fuel, priceless time and mental torture. When
a project is made it is usually made for the wellbeing of the people, the
nation appreciates the wise decision taken by this government, people acknowledge
in appreciation of such efforts, no citizen is ever against development. One
does not need to use millions of rupees worth ads for its popularity, whenever
a transport facility is used by people, it becomes popular itself. This show of
lavish ways have only proved they are penny wise and pound foolish, meaning;
More votes would be lost than gained!Consider there is a house where the mother is very sick but doesn’t have a hospital nearby, the child is not going to school, the father is jobless but he prefers to loan a Mercedes S500 from a bank. This would mean, necessities have been taken over by luxury, similar is the case of Punjab and its people.
Two; YDA had a peaceful hunger strike and March. They were not holding batons, guns or weapons in their hands. What was the purpose of using brute on civilians with no arms? Whatever their demands were, this was not a civilized way of dealing with doctors. The Govts reaction shows a state of mind which is feudalistic in its core. They agitate against Musharaf’s army rule but personally they have proved worse than those whom they criticize. This act of senior Police officers seemed as if they are personal servants & guards of CM. They showed their loyalties by hitting, dragging the parliamentarian on the road.
It is the same behavior which one witnesses in the rural when children enter a rich landlords mango farms, they are either shown their dogs or told to shoot. It’s the same mindset which was evident on the streets of Lahore today. People of Punjab in particular and Pakistan in general must wise up now. It is due to them from whom such grab thugs gain power; it is time to show them their correct place.
Copyright ©2011-2050 Ayesha Zee Khan. Reproduction: Poetry/articles/stories strictly prohibited.. Awesome Inc. template. Template images by molotovcoketail. Powered by Blogger.
No comments:
Post a Comment