The Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) has strongly condemned the kidnapping of Dr Tariq Afridi and decided to hold a protest at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) on October 25 in which future course of action would be announced.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, PDA President Dr Shahsawar said that Dr Tariq had been kidnapped from emergency gate of LRH, adding that the government and security agencies had been asked several times to take notice of the incident but no steps had been taken yet.
He said that it had become very common for doctors to be kidnapped and released after payment of ransom.
“The doctors are compelled to think that if the government does not provide security to them then they will be independent in their decisions, including group resignations of the doctors from their duties,” Dr Shahsawar said. He said further that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly had passed a bill for the doctors who want to do post graduation to take Extra Ordinary Leave (EOL) which was discriminatory, demanding that the government should amend the bill.
