Doctors in KP have been protesting since weeks following a legislation which has been deemed as a ‘privitisation of public sector hospitals’.
On Tuesday, KP Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai in his talks to media stated that the credit for appointing so many doctors should go to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. In a comment that has been widely criticised, he stated that previously these doctors used to sell ‘pakoras’ in Khyber Bazaar.
He further added that the PTI government had given jobs to about four to five thousand doctors after coming to power.
The minister’s comments received widespread criticism on social media. A doctor took to Twitter to express his outrage over the ‘arrogant nature and derogatory remarks’ of the minister.
https://twitter.com/Dr_faisal_khan/status/1179045825546203137?s=20
The information minister was forced to offer a clarification for his comments. In a video message posted on Facebook, he said he did not want to demean doctors and he was talking in the context of their unemployment, and that there had been cases of doctors selling ‘pakoras’ in protest.
Journalist Talat Hussain expressed his criticism of Shaukat Yousafzai and called it ‘arrogance of incompetence’.
https://twitter.com/TalatHussain12/status/1178986576954695680?s=20
Seemingly dissatisfied with the minister’s answers, doctors in KP celebrated ‘pakora’ day in protest of the minister’s comments.
Social media was rife with rather comical pictures of doctors eating ‘pakoras’ and putting plates on their head.
https://twitter.com/WAKhan_/status/1179372694409748484?s=20
Another user took to Twitter to wish people a happy ‘pakora’ day.
https://twitter.com/ma_zh_ar/status/1179659771219185664?s=20
The strange protest follows a bloody protest last week, in which several had been injured and doctors had announced a strike across the province’s public hospitals. Fifteen doctors were also arrested and sent to Mardan Central Jail.