Khudayar Mohla –
ISLAMABAD, (TLTP): The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) was reopened on Tuesday soon after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) take up plea seeking contempt proceedings against federal secretary health and others over disobeying the court’s order pertaining to the restoration of the Council.
Single-member bench of the IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the contempt plea of the Council Registrar who accused federal health secretary Tanvir Ahmad Qureshi and other officials for creating obstacles in the court order in restoration of the PMDC. The PMDC, a statutory regulatory authority that oversees medical and dental colleges in Pakistan, was dissolved following a presidential ordinance proclaimed on October 21.
After declaring the ordinance ultra vires to the Constitution, the IHC had restored the status of Council almost two months ago but federal health secretary in connivance with Islamabad Capital Territory administration and local police remained reluctant to de-seal the Council premises.
Invoking the IHC jurisdiction on behalf of their client, Barrister Zafarullah Khan and Advocate Umer Sajjad Chaven moved another contempt plea in the same matter. The court summoned federal secretary health Tanvir Ahmad Qureshi, Joint Secretary Saeedullah Khan Niazi, Section Officer Ali Raza, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqat, ICT Magistrate Ali Javed and Ramna Police Station SHO Khurshid in person for Tuesday.
IHC deletes name of SAPM Dr.Mirza from contempt plea
Resuming the hearing of the matter, the bench expressed annoyance over failure in compliance of the court orders and said while addressing federal secretary health government has earned a bad reputation in the world by stopping operation of the PMDC.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani further observed that medical graduates were at made rolling stone whereas doctors already practicing in the field were not getting their license renewal, adding as to why federal secretary health is interested to disobeying court orders instead of paying heed to curb the spread of Coronavirus.
Responding to the court query that as to why federal secretary health was intervening in the affairs of doctors Council unnecessarily, secretary said that he personally respond to Faryad complaint of every Faryadi complainant to which Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani expressed dismay saying, “ What do you mean by Faryadi – Do you consider yourself a king – you are a civil servant – pay respect to doctor as there is no normal but warlike situation in the country”.
Later, the bench asked the government officials to restrain from interfering in the court orders whereas Registrar will let them know about strength of the staff in wake of the COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the bench clubbed another contempt plea of former principal of KMU Institute of Medical Science filed through Advocate Sharafat Ali Chaudhry seeking contempt proceedings over non-compliance with the court orders to make functional the PMDC.
The petitioner submitted that the PMDC remained locked due to which thousands of medical graduates including the daughter of the petitioner, could not get register as doctors at the time of pandemic COVID-19, when the health professionals are required more than any other professional in the country. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani after deleting name of SAPM Dr Zafar Mirza with the consent of Advocate Sharafat Chaudhry observed the court will take up the matter pending till next week.
