Pakistan police raided the home of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nephew, Hassaan Niazi, here on Friday in connection with the attack on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, according to a media report.
At least five patients died and several were in critical condition after hundreds of lawyers stormed and ransacked the institute in Lahore on Wednesday.
The lawyers said they attacked the doctors and medical staff to avenge an assault by the doctors on a fellow advocate two weeks ago.
In footage televised on national channels, Niazi, who is a lawyer, was seen with those who stormed the facility.
However, Niazi was not present at his residence when the police raided his home, The Express Tribune reported.
Punjab information minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, who had reached the hospital to negotiate with the lawyers, was also manhandled.
“Even in the war time hospitals are spared but the unruly lawyers today crossed every limit and attacked a health facility causing the death of five patients and injuries to the doctors and paramedics,” Chohan said.
Later, the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers and riot police were called in to control the situation.
Prime Minister Khan took notice of the incident and sought a report from the Punjab inspector general, the report said.
On Thursday, the Pakistan police arrested 50 lawyers, including women, for the attack.
Meanwhile, lawyers across the country boycotted court duty on Friday, protesting against the registration of cases against those involved in the hospital raid.
Legal bodies have demanded the “immediate release” of those arrested.
Riyadh assurance
Khan will visit Saudi Arabia on Saturday to reassure Riyadh about the bilateral ties after it expressed unhappiness over his decision to attend a summit in Malaysia, according to a media report.
The Saudis are seeing the summit in Kuala Lumpur as an attempt to present an alternative to the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Dawn reported.
The dysfunctional OIC works under the de-facto leadership of the Saudis.