Raja Basharat said that dereliction of duty shown by police is also being investigated
LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat said on Wednesday that 39 people have been arrested in relation to the attack by protesting lawyers in the city, which claimed the life of one female patient and wounded several others.
A group of lawyers on Wednesday stormed the emergency ward of Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore, vandalising public property, setting a police vehicle on fire and attacking provincial minister Fayyaz ul Hasan Chohan.
Following the attack, a woman died due to lack of medical attention, while several patients were forced out of the building to sit on footpaths.
In a media talk by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ministers, Raja Basharat said that dereliction of duty shown by police is also being investigated.
He said that the prime minister has taken notice of the incident and directed the Punjab government to take immediate action in this regard.
“Some of those who were a part of the violence have been identified,” said the provincial law minister.
He further said that if provincial ministers Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan and Dr Yasmin Rashid were not present at that time more damage could have been inflicted.
Punjab Information Minister Chohan claimed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz workers are behind the attack on him, which took place earlier today.
“The list has surfaced on social media of those PML-N workers who attacked me. Those PML-N workers have their pictures with Hamza Shehbaz and Maryam Nawaz,” he said.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Firdous Ashiq Awan likened the lawyers’ attack to that of Gullu Butt, who was one of the main vandals in 2014 protests.
The SAPM said that the perpetrators of the attack will be badly punished, adding that the "black sheep among lawyers will be exposed".
Provincial minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said that at the time of the attack when she reached the site of incident, doctors also chanted slogans against her, but she stands with them.
"It was really shameful to attack the hospital," said the provincial minister.
Dr Rashid expressed her anger, saying: "My blood boils at what these rogue lawyers have done today. We have lost precious lives and our doctors have come under attack. Let it be clear, NOT ONE of them will be spared. I will ensure they are charged for murder under Article 302."