A district and sessions court in Lahore on Saturday ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to conduct an inquiry against Grand Health Alliance (GHA) Punjab Chairman Dr Irfan for allegedly provoking a clash between doctors and lawyers as it could be seen in a video clip that went viral on the social media a day before the lawyers stormed the Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore on Dec. 11.
Additional session judge Amjad Ali Shah presided over a petition filed by advocate Haider Zaman for registration of a case against Dr Irfan. The petitioner contended that the lawyers were humiliated by Dr Irfan of the PIC, and it was a well thought out and organised conspiracy to instigate lawyers.
It further argued that Dr Irfan’s speech was a cause of human lives, and the FIA had been approached by the lawyers for initiation of a case against him but to no avail. It pleaded with the court to prosecute Dr Irfan under the Cyber Crime Act.
The order, which came on an application filed against Dr Irfan, also directed the FIA to expedite the proceedings of the inquiry, and subsequently lodge a case against the doctor.
Meanwhile, the FIA prosecutor stated that the inquiry has been initiated upon approval of the application in which FIA’s director; FIA Cyber Crime Circle’s Additional Director and Dr Irfan were made respondents. He told that the FIA Cyber Crime Circle has been proceeding with other inquiries as well.
The lawyers were apparently on a mission to avenge a group of lawyers, who had been beaten up at the PIC a few weeks ago, soon after some video clips went viral on the social media showing some doctors making fun of the lawyers while recalling the incident.
The protesters claimed that the legal fraternity was provoked by several video clips circulating on the social media. Videos showed some doctors making fun of the lawyers after some hospital staff had thrashed a group of lawyers over a dispute at the PIC.
A doctor could be seen narrating an encounter with some lawyers in front of a group. According to the doctor in the video, a group of lawyers had gone to the inspector general of police and told him to charge “two doctors” under Section 7 of Anti-terrorism Act (ATA).
He narrated that the IG had refused while the lawyers had urged him to press charges, saying “they could save face” that way.
On Wednesday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) disposed of petitions seeking cancellation of First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged against lawyers in the wake of PIC attack after the provincial government and the inspector general of police assured it that all those arrested would be dealt strictly in accordance with law.
The chief secretary, home secretary, IGP and other high-ups appeared before the bench. The judges also held a meeting with the officials, lawyers and doctors from the PIC in chamber. Both sides, lawyers and doctors, had agreed to form a committee comprising their representatives to reach an amicable solution to the dispute. The committee will also present its recommendations before the bench.
On the other hand, Punjab Inspector General (IG) Shoaib Dastgir formed a committee to find out policemen who were responsible for not preventing the clash between the lawyers and the doctors at the PIC.
The committee is being headed by Additional IG Azhar Hameed Khokhar, and DIG Imran Mehmood and AIG Athar Ismail are also its members. The committee will forward its recommendations based on inspections of CCTV footage obtained of the incident and various aspects relating to it.
