ABBOTTABAD: The doctors community has announced to boycott their duty on Monday (today) in Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) in protest against the biometric attendance system and explanation notices issued to medical officers by the hospital administration for not availing of the system.

`Except emergency cover, all outdoor departments, wards, laboratory, radiology department and operation theatres will remain closed during the day,` said Provincial Doctors Association (PDA), Ayub Medical Institute Abbottabad, in a circular issued by its president Dr Aminullah Afridi after its meeting.

The circular, which was also conveyed to the hospital administration, stated that OPDs and other services would not been provided during the strike.

`In case the notification of biometric system for attendance and explanation letters are not withdrawn, the strike will be extended for an indefinite period,` the circular stated, adding that issues were discussed with the BoG chairman, but their demands were not fulfilled.

The sudden strike call was given after the issuance of notification about biometric attendance by the hospital administration followed by issuance of explanation notices to over 150 doctors in this regard who did not use the biometric devices for their attendance.Dr Aminullah Afridi told mediapersons that the BoG chairman had earlier assured them that till fulfillment of demands of doctors the biometric system would not be implemente d. He said that their demands included provision of health professional allowance, increase in salaries and stipends, etc.

MARRIAGE ROW: An 8th class student of about 14 years was forcefully got married after her abduction, alleges her family as their daughter went missing a month ago.

The FIR about her abduction was lodged in Nawan Shehr police station.

Adeel, brother of the girl, lodged the FIR, claiming that two persons had sought the hand of his sister, but the family had refused to allow her marriage. The girl appeared in court a few days ago and in her statement before a magistrate she said that she had willingly married with Mazhar and no one had abducted her.

The girl`s family produced her birth and school certificates to the police where the girl`s age was mentioned as 14 years, while the medical certificate produced in the court showed her age as 18 years. The court after recording statement of the girl and checking the medical certificate allowed her to proceed with her husband. The girl`s family has sought the help of the chief justice and government in the case, saying that she is frightened and not talking to them. Correspondent