LAHORE, Dec 12 (INP): Two FIRs (first information reports) were registered on Thursday against over 250 lawyers who on Wednesday attacked government-run Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) in Lahore that left at least four patients dead.

The two FIRs, one each on behalf of police and doctors, were registered at the Shadman Police Station. More than 15 lawyers were nominated in the two FIRs.

Sections of Anti Terrorism Act (ATC) and damage to public and private property were made part of the FIR. According to the FIR, the lawyers were allegedly involved in torturing police officials, aerial firing and setting a police vehicle on fire. The lawyers were allegedly involved damaging machinery and equipment at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology.

Earlier, a violent clash that erupted between hundreds of lawyers and doctors on Wednesday left at least four people injured when the charged lawyers stormed into the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and broke windows of the emergency ward and several vehicles parked nearby.

Meanwhile, rangers reached at the area to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

Lawyers went “out of control” while holding batons and sticks and broke the emergency gate of the PIC after a video that showed doctors allegedly torturing lawyers went viral on the social media.

According to the doctor in the video, a group of lawyers had gone to the inspector general and told him to charge "two doctors" under Section 7 of ATA. He narrated that the IG had refused while the lawyers had urged him to press charges, saying "they could save face" that way.

A group of doctors and lawyers started pelting stones at each other in which four people sustained injuries.

Police, who initially exchanged just harsh words and appeared helpless in resisting the charged lawyers, later resorted to tear-gas shelling to disperse them.

Later, while talking to the media, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said that there was a report of four patients losing their life when the lawyers attacked the hospital.

According to reports, patients were in critical condition and were left attended after the lawyers barged inside emergency wards.

The PIC paramedics and physicians halted treatment of patients, and rushed out from the hospital premises for saving their lives.

An elderly female patient Gulshan Bibi died when doctors had left the ward during the clash. Other patients seemed in a state of fear and panic.

Patients, some in ambulances, were unable to reach the hospital while those receiving treatment were left unattended due to the chaos.

In a tweet she said: "Breaking the Law is not acceptable at any cost."

"The manhandling of provincial minister Fayyazul Hassan Chauhan, vandalism and harassment of poor patients and their attendants is extremely condemnable and regrettable." "Those who wear the uniform of law will have to obey the law."

Later, policemen arrested 18 lawyers including three female lawyers. Subsequently, lawyers in groups gathered at different main roads of the city and blocked them. This led to major traffic jams in the vicinity of Mall Road, GPO Chowk and Civil Secretariat Stop.