KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has announced a two-day nationwide strike on November 1 and 2, 2026, against the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) aggressive enforcement of Point of Sale (POS) systems at private clinics, registration of criminal cases against doctors over medical complications, and increasing incidents of violence against healthcare professionals.
Addressing a press conference at PMA House in Karachi on Thursday, PMA central and provincial leaders announced that all healthcare services, except emergency services, would remain suspended during the two-day protest.
The association warned that if its demands were not accepted, the future course of action, including a possible nationwide protest movement, would be decided at the PMA Central Council meeting scheduled for November 28, 2026.
PMA Central President Dr. Izhar Ahmed Chaudhary and Secretary General Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro expressed serious concern over what they described as the systematic harassment, criminalization and humiliation of medical professionals across Pakistan.
The PMA leadership strongly criticized the FBR's move to impose retail-style POS systems on private medical clinics, arguing that healthcare facilities should not be treated as commercial retail outlets.
They maintained that medical consultations were professional healthcare services rather than ordinary commercial transactions and warned that coercive raids and additional administrative requirements would ultimately increase treatment costs for patients already struggling with inflation.
The association demanded an immediate halt to FBR raids and aggressive POS enforcement measures against healthcare establishments.
Expressing concern over the registration of criminal cases against doctors under Sections 302 and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), PMA leaders said medical complications and unfortunate patient deaths should not automatically be treated as criminal acts.
They argued that many adverse medical outcomes occurred due to delayed hospital arrivals, shortages of essential medicines, inadequate facilities and other systemic deficiencies.
The PMA demanded that no criminal proceedings against medical professionals over alleged medical negligence should proceed without prior evaluation by an independent and qualified medical board.
The association also urged Parliament to enact the Healthcare Professionals Protection Act without further delay to provide legal safeguards for doctors and other healthcare workers.
Highlighting increasing incidents of violence in hospitals, PMA representatives said young doctors, consultants, nurses and frontline healthcare workers were regularly subjected to threats, verbal abuse, physical assaults and public humiliation.
They said doctors working in understaffed and underfunded government hospitals were frequently blamed for failures arising from inadequate healthcare infrastructure.
The association warned that growing insecurity, professional harassment and poor working conditions were contributing to the migration of qualified doctors from Pakistan, further weakening the country's healthcare system.
PMA leaders demanded comprehensive institutional, legal and physical security arrangements at public and private healthcare facilities nationwide.
They warned that continued government inaction could force the medical community to expand its protest movement across all four provinces.
The association maintained that responsibility for any disruption resulting from the withdrawal of healthcare services would rest with the authorities if they failed to address the medical community's concerns.
The press conference was attended by PMA Central President Dr. Izhar Ahmed Chaudhary, Secretary General Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, Joint Secretary Dr. Diyali Gul, PMA Sindh President Dr. Niaz Babar, PMA Punjab President-elect Dr. Maqsood, PMA Balochistan President Dr. Naeem Zarqoon, PMA Karachi President Dr. Ismail Memon, PMA Karachi General Secretary Dr. Shahid Mamsa, YDA Chairman Dr. Mehboob Noorani and Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan (SOGP) Secretary General Dr. Shabeen Naaz.
The PMA reiterated that emergency medical services would remain operational during the November 1–2 strike, while further decisions regarding the protest movement would be taken at the Central Council meeting on November 28.
