Police on Tuesday arrested 52 women and 20 men who were staging a sit-in at Charing Cross in Lahore against privatization of government hospitals. Sources said that a heavy contingent of police raided the site of the sit-in on late Monday night and arrested 72 people who were participating in the sit-in. Police also took custody of all the luggage of the protesters. Police and GHA activists also clashed over entry to ‘high security zone’.

Earlier, on April 28, 2025, the police and employees of the government hospitals clashed on The Mall when the former tried to stop the latter from entering the high security zone where the international cricket players and other VIP guests were staying. The clash left some protesters as well as the policemen injured. The protesters, including the young doctors, had announced on Sunday to take out the rally under the banner of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) and stage a sit-in outside the Chief Minister House.

The young doctors alleged that the police used force, tortured the protesters, including women, and arrested some of them. The police high-ups claimed that the protesters used syringes and knives they had brought from the hospitals, and injured some law enforcers. They said the employees were asked to avoid using the road leading to the high security zone, which led to the physical clash.

The eyewitnesses said a part of The Mall from Charing Cross to the Alhamra Hall remained the battleground as both sides clashed, throwing the traffic out of gear even on the smaller adjoining arteries. The motorists and the traders faced a great deal of inconvenience in the day-long tense situation. However, a group of the charged protesters managed to reach the Club Chowk where they staged a sit in.

There were reports that the Young Doctors Association Punjab led the Monday’s rally and intensified agitation when the health department terminated and transferred many young medics for instigating the employees of the state-run hospitals for the strike in the outpatient departments (OPDs). YDA Punjab chairman Dr Salman Haseeb and president Dr Shoaib Niazi were also among them who faced terminations and transfers made by the health department.

Following Monday’s tense situation, the YDA Punjab banned the entry of the police personnel to all the government hospitals across the province. It also announced to postpone all kinds of surgeries of the patients and warned to go on strike in the indoor wards of the public hospitals of Punjab. There were reports that the GHA postponed the agitation at the Club Chowk and reached back to the Charing Cross after Monday evening.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)