Sealing of PMDC offices challanged in IHC

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) recently issued notice to the secretary Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on a petition filed by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Registrar, Retired Brigadier Hafizuddin Siddiqui and other employees of the council for sealing their offices.

It is pertinent to mention here that on October last year, President Dr Arif Alvi promulgated an ordinance which left the PMDC dissolved and paved the way for establishment of the PMC (Pakistan Medical Commission).

Subsequently, the ministry of NHS sealed the building of the PMDC and informed its 220 employees that their services had been terminated. However, earlier this year, IHC declared the presidential ordinance as ultra vires to the constitution and restored PMDC and the services of the employees.

The ministry previously issued the direction for sealing the offices of the PMDC as a result the reinstated employees were not allowed to enter the offices.

Advocate Abdul Rahim Bhatti, counsel for registrar and other PMDC’s officials brought these facts to the knowledge of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

IHC Chief Justice then issued notice to the secretary NHS and sought his reply by the end of the month.

The case has also been fixed before IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani who authored the PMDC’s judgment.

Earlier, A large number of employees of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) staged a protest in front of the Council headquarters in favour of their demands.

Addressing the protesters, speakers claimed that the PMDC and all its employees had been restored by the Islamabad High Court, but the court order was not being implemented by the administration.

They said the administration had sealed the office, which was against the law. They said they would continue their protest till fulfillment of their all demands.

-MN Report