FAISA LABAD: Doctors of state-run hospitals have threatened to withdraw their services from the floodaffected areas and outpatient departments of all Faisalabad hospitals if advertising tax imposed by the district government is not withdrawn within 48 hours.

This was announced at a press conference organised by the Pakistan Medical Association, the Young Doctors Association and the Medical Teachers Association at Allied Hospital on Tuesday.

Addressing the conference, PMA President Dr Rai Arif, Secretary Dr Mohammad Irfan, Dr Tufall Mohammad and Dr Khurram Sohail said the district government had imposed tax without takingthe doctors into confidence.

They said a number of doctors had been performing duties in the flood-affected areas ignoring all sorts of problems there.

However, the district government employees had been raiding the houses of the doctors for tax collection.

The doctors termed the tax unjustified and said they would not accept this approach of the district government that was tantamount to pressing doctors for payment of `extortion.

They said an application had been submitted to the Civil Lines police for registration of a theft case as the district government employees had taken away the boards installed outside the clinics of doctors in different areas. The employees had also misbehaved with the doctors and their family members.