ZUBAIR QURESHI
Supreme Court on Friday constituted an 11-member ad hoc committee to run day-to-day affairs of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. The orders were given in a case pertaining to a petition filed by the government, seeking removal of the PMDC registrar. Justice Ijazul Ahsan read out the short order that was reserved on Wednesday. According to the order, the committee will be headed by retired justice of the Supreme Court, Ejaz Afzal Khan. Members of the council will include the Attorney General of Pakistan, the Surgeon General of Pakistan, vice chancellors of National University of Medical Services, University of National Health Services, Sindh Jinnah Medical University, Khyber Medical University, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Bolan Medical University and principal of de’Montmorency College of Dentistry. The court also set aside a contempt of court application filed by PMDC employees against the government for not following the Islamabad High Court order of Feb 11, in which the court had restored the PMDC and set aside the presidential ordinance that had created an alternative body called the Pakistan Medical Council. The PMDC was dissolved by a presidential ordinance promulgated on Oct 19, 2019, which paved the way for the establishment of the PMC. On Oct 20, the Ministry of National Health Services, despite strong opposition by PMDC employees, sealed the PMDC building and announced that the services of its 220 employees had been terminated and only class four employees would be retained. Later, the PMC was established and the building was made functional. The IHC however on Feb 11 declared the presidential ordinance null and void and restored PMDC along with the services of the sacked employees. However instead of implementing the decision, once again the health ministry sealed the building and stopped employees from entering it. Later, the government filed an appeal against the IHC decision with a division bench but could not succeed in getting the decision suspended or obtaining a stay order. On the other hand, the employees filed a contempt petition against the government in IHC.
