A doctors' strike in Pakistan has closed routine outpatient desks and private consulting rooms for two days after the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) objected to tax enforcement and what it describes as unfair police cases. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the national tax body, is pressing for compulsory Point of Sale (POS) machines that log sales, while doctors also point to first information reports (FIRs)—police case filings—and alleged mistreatment at work.
PMA leaders say the pause covers public and private hospitals as well as standalone clinics. Casualty and emergency wards are still running so people who need urgent care can be treated.
Why medics walked out
PMA Karachi reported that its national leadership ordered the stoppage. On 29 October, doctors across the country backed that call in a unanimous vote, according to the association. Outpatient services and private clinics are therefore shut today in cities including Karachi.
The association lists four drivers behind the protest: police cases it calls baseless; court and legal trouble for practitioners; claims that doctors have been humiliated or harassed; and the FBR’s forced rollout of POS hardware. In a shared message, Karachi chapter president Dr Muhammad Ismail Memon and general secretary Dr Shahid Ibrahim Mamsa said the profession’s dignity, autonomy, and lawful rights must be defended.
Care during the shutdown
Only scheduled OPD visits and ordinary clinic appointments are suspended. Emergency rooms stay staffed so serious illness or injury is not left without help. The association asked doctors, hospitals, and other medical bodies to support the joint decision and to make the 48-hour halt work on the ground.
This doctors' strike in Pakistan is framed as a short, timed action rather than an open-ended stoppage of all hospital work. Anyone with a planned checkup may need to wait or seek advice after the two days end; anyone in a crisis should still go to emergency.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 29 October: Doctors nationwide unanimously endorse a resolution supporting the planned OPD and clinic pause.
- Central PMA direction: National leadership instructs the two-day suspension of routine outpatient and private clinic services.
- 2 November (today): OPD desks and private clinics are closed across the country, including Karachi, while emergency departments keep working.
- Protest focus: Disputed FIRs, legal pressure, alleged harassment, and mandatory FBR POS rules remain the stated reasons.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan mein doctors ne do din ke liye aam OPD aur private clinics band kar di hain. Wajah FBR ke POS rules aur doctors ke khilaf FIRs aur alleged ziyadtiyan hain. Emergency ward khule hain, is liye ernst patients ka ilaj jari hai. Agar aapka routine check-up tha to thora intezar karna parega; emergency mein ab bhi madad mil sakti hai.
