(Publish from Houston Texas USA)
(By Mansoor Mumtaz, LAHORE)
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has strongly condemned recent illegal raids by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on private hospitals across Punjab.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Lahore Press Club, leaders of PMA Central, PMA Punjab, and the Joint Action Committee, including Dr. Riaz Zulqarnain Aslam, Dr. Nadir Khan, Dr. Sarfraz Chaudhry, Dr. Tariq Mehmood Mian, Dr. Masood Zahid, Dr. Izhar Ahmed Chaudhry, Dr. Kamran Saeed Sheikh, Dr. Kamran Ahmed, and Dr. Amjad Hussain, warned that the continued harassment of private healthcare facilities is severely affecting patients and hospital staff.
They stated that private hospitals in Punjab handle 70–80% of the patient load in the province at minimal charges. However, over the past few weeks, FBR teams have been conducting illegal raids, harassing staff at hospital counters, and disrupting medical services. The PMA officials accused FBR teams of attempting to defame hospitals by intimidating patients, their families, doctors, and staff, noting that such authoritarian behavior constitutes direct interference in medical treatment.
The PMA demanded that both federal and provincial governments immediately stop these illegal raids. They further warned that if the FBR continues this behavior, private hospitals across Punjab may be forced to withdraw medical services altogether.
During the press conference, PMA leaders also urged the FBR Chairman to take immediate notice of this unjust and illegal action to alleviate the growing anxiety among doctors in Punjab.
Finally, PMA appealed to the Government of Pakistan, Punjab Government, relevant authorities, and senior officials to address doctors’ concerns seriously to ensure uninterrupted medical services for the public.
