GHA protesters, police clash outside CM Secretariat

LAHORE: Clashes have erupted between the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) protesters and the police outside the Chief Minister’s Secretariat after the Friday prayers.

The Grand Health Alliance’s (GHA) protest against the outsourcing of public hospitals entered its 12th consecutive day on Friday.

Police remained on high alert Friday morning, with heavy police deployment around the Chief Minister’s Secretariat as the protest site shifted from Charing Cross to outside the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

The decision aims to intensify pressure on the Punjab government, which GHA protesters say has ignored their demands for nearly two weeks.

Police resorted to using water cannons to disperse the crowd away from the CM secretariat.

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Earlier on Thursday, mild clashes were reported outside the Punjab Assembly when police used water cannons to disperse protesters trying to march toward government buildings.

YDA Punjab President Dr Shoaib Niazi told reporters that despite braving the scorching heat, the government has shown “no interest” in resolving the crisis.

“We are not boycotting OPDs out of respect for poor patients,” he said, adding that the protest is solely against the planned privatisation of public healthcare.

The GHA, comprising doctors, nurses, and paramedics, has vowed to continue the sit-in outside the CM’s House until the outsourcing decision is reversed.

Dr Niazi also appealed to the Chief Justice to intervene and provide relief to the protesting health workers.