RAWALPINDI, Jan 4: Young doctors in the three public hospitals here on Friday observed a token strike against the arrest of their colleagues in Gujranwala.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) had given the strike call following the arrest of 12 doctors in Gujranwala. They were charged with manhandling Dr Anwar Aman, the medical superintendent of the DHQ Hospital Gujranwala, and ransacking his office.

The doctors observed a token strike and left the outdoor patient departments (OPD) for an hour. They also staged protest demonstrations on the premises of the hospitals and chanted slogans against the Punjab secretary health and the police.

They demanded the release of the doctors.

“We will observe a strike if the government failed to release the doctors,” said Dr Mohammad Haroon, the YDA Punjab chairman, while talking to Dawn.

He said the Punjab health department had lodged complaints against the doctors in Gujranwala which were illegal.