Chief Justice of Pakistan condemns lawyer-led hospital violence

Lawyers gather following a clash between lawyers and doctors in Lahore on Dec. 11, 2019. (AFP)
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Updated 14 December 2019
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Chief Justice of Pakistan condemns lawyer-led hospital violence

  • On Wednesday, members of legal fraternity stormed cardiac hospital to protest mistreatment of a group of lawyers at the facility
  • Justice Khosa called on legal and medical professionals to keep the nobility of their professions intact

ISLAMABAD: A mob attack led by a group of lawyers on a Pakistan hospital earlier this week “should never have happened,” and was an opportunity for self-reflection, Pakistan’s chief justice, Asif Saeed Khosa, said in Islamabad on Saturday, while addressing a conference.
On Wednesday, in a riot that sent shockwaves around the country, members of Pakistan’s legal fraternity staged a violent protest at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), in the heart of the eastern city of Lahore, seemingly in an attempt to avenge a group of lawyers that were caught on video being beaten up at the hospital earlier.
As lawyers barged into the premises and broke windows and equipment, doctors and nurses were forced to abandon their stations in fear of their lives. Three cardiac patients left unattended died in the ensuing panic and chaos.
“What happened in Lahore, should never have happened,” Justice Khosa said, and added that he believed divinity, law and medicine were “the noblest of professions.” He called on doctors and lawyers to ensure the nobility of their professions remained intact.
Police registered cases on a range of charges including terrorism and murder, and booked more than 250 lawyers, local media reported.
“Our hearts and minds go out to the victims and their families. We hope and pray all concerned would like to uphold the values attached to the legal profession as well as the medical profession,” he said.
Pakistan’s top judge refrained from saying more on the matter, because the case was sub-judice before the Lahore High Court.


Pakistan to take on India in Super Six fixture of Men’s U19 World Cup — PCB

Updated 31 January 2026
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Pakistan to take on India in Super Six fixture of Men’s U19 World Cup — PCB

  • Pakistan need to defeat India by a healthy margin to secure a spot in semifinals
  • England sit at the top of the table with six points in the mega cricket tournament

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan are all geared up to take on India in their final Super Six fixture of the ICC Under-19 (U19) Men’s Cricket World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said late Friday.

Pakistan will face arch-rivals India at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday, February 1, with the first ball scheduled to be bowled at 9.30am local time.

The last time two sides met was during the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup final, where Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs to clinch the title at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai. Sameer Minhas scored 172 runs while right-arm pacer Ali Raza bagged four wickets.

Pakistan, who currently have four points and are placed third in Group 2 of the Super Six stage, need to defeat India by a healthy margin to secure a spot in the semifinals. England sit at the top of the table with six points and are currently playing New Zealand at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

“Our next match is against India, which is very important as there is a semifinal at stake. We have clear plans for every match and we put in a lot of hard work accordingly,” said Usman Khan, who has scored 122 runs from four matches in the ongoing mega event.

“We will try to perform well in the next game to qualify for the next stage.”

After arriving in Bulawayo from Harare on Wednesday afternoon, Pakistan took a day off before participating in a scenario-based practice game at the Bulawayo Athletic Club on Friday. Pakistan will also take part in a training session at the same venue today (Saturday).

“Before the tournament, we held several camps in Multan where a strong focus was placed on fielding. We had productive sessions there and as a result the team has improved a lot in this department,” Khan said.

“Our preparations have been very good. The scenario-based match was of high quality and it closely reflected actual match conditions.”

PAKISTAN SQUAD

Farhan Yousaf (captain), Usman Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas and Umar Zaib