Police used tear gas and batons to disperse a peaceful demonstration of government doctors in Islamabad on 4 October. About 20 doctors were detained until after the protest was dispersed. Several of the doctors were injured.
The Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) called on members from around the country to mobilise outside the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) in Islamabad against new regulations imposed on medical practices, which they said could prevent many people from entering the profession.
A 2019 law made it mandatory for all medical students graduating from March 2022 onwards to pass the National Licencing Examination (NLE) to obtain a provisional and full licence to practice in Pakistan. The Medical Teachers’ Association (MTA) said the exam could not ensure the quality of education in medical and dental colleges. The YDA pointed out that the real problem was the impact of budget cuts on education programmes at medical training institutes. It called on the government to improve the standard of education, noting that unless they did, so there was no point in taking an extra exam.
In a similar incident in Lahore on 29 August, at least 12 members of the YDA suffered injuries when police resorted to baton charges and pepper spray to disperse a demonstration outside an NLE examination centre in the Garden Town district.
