Shahbaz Gill's left eye infected due to ink thrown by PML-N workers, say doctors

• Doctors say that Shahbaz Gill's left eye has become infected after PML-N workers threw ink on him.
• Gill was attacked with eggs and ink when he arrived at the Lahore High Court.
• Doctors at Lahore's Mayo Hospital bandaged Gill's eye after treatment.

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LAHORE: The left eye of Prime Minister Imran Khan's aide on political communications, Dr Shahbaz Gill, has been infected due to the ink thrown at him during an attack earlier today by PML-N political workers, the Daily Jang reported, citing doctors.

Gill was attacked with eggs and ink when he arrived at the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a further blow to Pakistan's political situation, which gets uglier by the day.

The premier's special assistant subsequently went for a check-up at Lahore's Mayo Hospital, where doctors told him the chemical in the ink had caused an infection in his left eye.

Read more: Eggs, ink thrown at PM's aide Shahbaz Gill on visit to Lahore High Court

Doctors at Lahore's Mayo Hospital bandaged Gill's eye after treatment.

During the attack earlier in the day, ink had been smeared on the hand and forehead of the premier's aide. Gill, however, mostly remained unharmed.

Opposition's 'own black deeds'

Geo News had reported that the Opposition workers, who were allegedly involved in the attack, were then set on by the ruling PTI's supporters as security personnel rushed Gill to the courtroom.

Speaking to the media later, he described the incident as "bullying and thuggery" and said the Opposition had actually thrown the ink of their "own black deeds" on him.

"We will respond to one slap with 10 slaps," Gill vowed.

'Imran Khan's soldier'

Interestingly, however, the aide had notified on Twitter that while he was planning to appear before the court, he found out through his "journalist friends" that "the PML-N's gangster group was preparing to attack [him]".

"I am Imran Khan's soldier. I'm not afraid of you. I believe in politics, not bullying like you do," he had said, taking a jibe at the PML-N.

Need to 'cultivate a culture of tolerance'

Reacting to the news, PML-N Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal said PM Imran Khan is "certainly responsible for taking hatred to the level of absurdity in politics".

"If it wasn't okay to be done to us, it wouldn't be okay to do this to anyone else," Iqbal wrote on Twitter, adding that Pakistani politicians need to "cultivate a culture of tolerating [the] opponents by keeping political differences within the realm of civility".

Attacks on politicians

On March 6, PML-N leaders had gathered to address a press conference outside the Parliament when they were surrounded by PTI supporters shouting slogans. An altercation and scuffle soon followed between the two parties.

A Peshawari chappal, or slipper, was thrown at PML-N's Iqbal as he had stood on a platform and shouted slogans criticising the PTI regime.

Also read: Shoe thrown at Ahsan Iqbal as PTI supporters, PML-N leaders fight

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and senior PML-N leader Dr Musadik Malik also got into physical altercations with some of the demonstrators, while the latter was also hit on the back of the neck by an unidentified man.

Malik had termed the attack as "a despicable act of cowardice".

"Today, on the women’s day,, may we not do some introspection on what kind of country do we want to leave for our daughters. For me, it would be a world of self-actualisation, integrity & equality," he had said on Twitter.

There were also reports that PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb had been hurt in the melee as the political leaders scuffled with the PTI's supporters.