ABC News :
Police in Pakistan have raided the home of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nephew for taking part in a violent protest at a hospital in which three patients died.
Hassan Niazi was one of about 500 lawyers at the protest on Thursday (local time) that descended into a rampage through the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, in the eastern city of Lahore.
The mob stormed the facility, punching and beating doctors and other staff, apparently angered over alleged misbehaviour by some of the hospital’s doctors towards one of their colleagues in November.
Three patients at the cardiology hospital died when physicians and medics left them unattended for several hours to escape the mob.
The Government said those linked to the violence would be tried in anti-terrorism courts and that the maximum punishment would be sought for them. Mr Niazi admitted taking part in the violence at the hospital on Twitter and said he regretted it.
“After watching this clip I feel ashamed of myself. This is murder,” he wrote.
“My support and protest was limited to initiation of legal action against the concerned doctors. I only stand for peaceful protests.”
“It’s a sad day and I condemn my own self for supporting this protest now.”
So far, 250 lawyers have received treason charges over the incident and 80 of those charged have been arrested, police said. But Mr Niazi’s name was not registered amongst them.
A spokesman for the city’s police chief said Mr Niazi had been identified through video footage and was now being sought. Police have made it clear anyone linked to the incident will be arrested.
“We have arrested some lawyers and no-one linked to the attack on the hospital will be spared,” Zulfikar Hameed the city’s police chief said on Thursday.
Speaking to the BBC, police spokesman Waseem Butt said Mr Niazi’s residence in Lahore has been raided twice by police but they had not found him.
Mr Khan has made no mention of his family’s link to the violence. But government spokeswoman Firdous Ashiq Awan said Mr Khan “believes in rule of law and [that] not even his nephew is above the law”, according to Pakistan Today.
She told reporters that “his nephew or anyone else whoever is wanted by the law … the law will follow him.”
Police in Pakistan have raided the home of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nephew for taking part in a violent protest at a hospital in which three patients died.
Hassan Niazi was one of about 500 lawyers at the protest on Thursday (local time) that descended into a rampage through the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, in the eastern city of Lahore.
The mob stormed the facility, punching and beating doctors and other staff, apparently angered over alleged misbehaviour by some of the hospital’s doctors towards one of their colleagues in November.
Three patients at the cardiology hospital died when physicians and medics left them unattended for several hours to escape the mob.
The Government said those linked to the violence would be tried in anti-terrorism courts and that the maximum punishment would be sought for them. Mr Niazi admitted taking part in the violence at the hospital on Twitter and said he regretted it.
“After watching this clip I feel ashamed of myself. This is murder,” he wrote.
“My support and protest was limited to initiation of legal action against the concerned doctors. I only stand for peaceful protests.”
“It’s a sad day and I condemn my own self for supporting this protest now.”
So far, 250 lawyers have received treason charges over the incident and 80 of those charged have been arrested, police said. But Mr Niazi’s name was not registered amongst them.
A spokesman for the city’s police chief said Mr Niazi had been identified through video footage and was now being sought. Police have made it clear anyone linked to the incident will be arrested.
“We have arrested some lawyers and no-one linked to the attack on the hospital will be spared,” Zulfikar Hameed the city’s police chief said on Thursday.
Speaking to the BBC, police spokesman Waseem Butt said Mr Niazi’s residence in Lahore has been raided twice by police but they had not found him.
Mr Khan has made no mention of his family’s link to the violence. But government spokeswoman Firdous Ashiq Awan said Mr Khan “believes in rule of law and [that] not even his nephew is above the law”, according to Pakistan Today.
She told reporters that “his nephew or anyone else whoever is wanted by the law … the law will follow him.”
