THE situation surrounding the doctors' protest in Quetta has gone from bad to worse. Dozens were arrested and at least eight injured on Tuesday when police used teargas and batons against them as they marched towards the Chief Minister's House and the Governor's House in the provincial capital. The protesters had reportedly not used any violent tactics. They had simply attempted to remove barricades placed in their way, at which point the police resorted to teargas and baton-charging as a way to disperse them. Eventually, this also led to aerial firing by the police and the arrests and injuries. Coming as it does after the killing of a defenceless young man at the hands of Rangers in Karachi and the shooting of five foreigners at Kharotabad earlier, this latest incident only raises concerns about rising levels of brutality among security forces.

This particular situation, however, has other worrisome dimensions and is an ongoing one that needs to come to an urgent resolution. The doctors have been on strike for several weeks, and nearly 130 of them have been fired for doing so. In response to Tuesday's incident, those still employed have ceased to provide any medical services, including emergency services, in the city. Private hospitals and clinics are now reportedly closed as well, since many of the doctors working at these facilities are also associated with public hospitals. The impact of this on citizens, especially those needing urgent medical care, is hard to imagine. The requests for higher pay — in line with that of doctors in other provinces — and better security can surely be handled through negotiations with the provincial government. Both sides, however — including the doctors, who are failing to provide Quetta's residents with a critical public service — would have to show a willingness to listen to the other's concerns.