Doctors' strike

Responding to Pakistan Medical Association's (PMA) call for a strike recently, doctors in government and private hospitals stayed out of outpatient departments to register their protest against targeted killing and kidnapping for ransom of fellow medical practitioners. Talking to the media, the association's president recalled that a number of doctors had been kidnapped by sectarian terrorists and criminal gangs in Karachi and Quetta as well as other parts of the country, to express the lament that the government did not provide security to them. The doctors have a serious reason to get upset over the dangers they face. According to a report, during 2010-2014 as many as 47 medical practitioners lost their lives in targeted killings either in sectarian hate crimes or in cases of extortion and kidnapping for ransom. Those working in Karachi and Quetta have been worst affected because of the poor law and order situation in those cities. But other areas are not safe, either. There have been several incidents of sectarian motive-related murders of doctors in Lahore and other parts of the country. Many have left for safer destinations abroad. Last year saw a significant rise in violence against doctors. The PMA, understandably, is perturbed. So should be provincial governments whose responsibility it is to maintain law and order and provide security to citizens. Unfortunately, the response so far has been a mere shrug of shoulders. Karachi PMA president recently complained that PMA representatives had knocked at the doors of health department, the Rangers, the police and other law enforcement agencies but to no avail. Lack of political will, he complained, is a major reason behind relentless killings.
Sectarian violence cuts across all professions and ethnic divides, it will end only until the proposed National Security Policy is fully implemented and all terrorists and their support bases are eliminated. The ongoing security operations in Karachi should also help eliminate the scourge of extortion and kidnapping for ransom. That though is a time-consuming process. Those facing life threats here and now should not be expected to wait for an indefinite period; the provincial governments must pay attention to the PMA's distress call and hold discussions with its representatives. They may have workable suggestions to offer to save the lives of those who work to save the lives of others.