PESHAWAR: Doctors on Wednesday rallied against government failure to provide them protection against the increasing incidents of kidnapping for ransom and extortion.

The protestcaused suspension of vehicular traffic on GT, Sher Shah Suri and Saddar roads, causing hardships to commuters.

The rally was led by provincial doctors association chairman Dr Shah Sawar and Malgari Doctoran president Dr Saeed-ur-Rehman.

The protesters gathered at the premises of Lady Reading Hospital and tried to march to the Chief Minister`s House for observing a sit-in there, but the police didn`t allow them to do so, forcing them to stage a sit in on the Mall Road.

They held banners and placards inscribed with demands for protection to them against kidnappings and extortion.

Talking to mediapersons they said as the government`s failure to protect their lives and properties forced them to come to the streets.

However, the protesters dispersed peacefully after a delegation of doctors met Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

The doctors said the chief minister assured them of tak-ing practical steps for resolution of their problems.

According to them, the CM also ordered a judicial probe into targeted killing of doctors and incidents of kidnappings for ransom.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf provincial spokesman Ishtiaq Urmar, MPA Ziaullah Afridi and others were also present in the meeting.

On the other hand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa paramedical association has warned of protest over the government`s plan to deny them limited practice under the proposed changes being made to the health regulatory act.

In a statement on Wednesday, the association`s provincial president Johar Ali said the paramedics were allowed to do limited medical practice in HRA 2002 and the provision was also upheld when the act was amended in 2006 and 2010.

He regretted that the elected representatives of 1s,000 paramedics in the province were not invited to a consultative workshop of the health department held on Tuesday to improve the health delivery system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the paramedics` role in provision of healthcare facilities had been acknowledged at the official level as they catered to the needs of80percentofpopulation.