SHC issues notices on plea of doctors against rejection of MCPS certificate

The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) and others on petitions of doctors against the rejection of their MCPS (Member of College of Physicians and Surgeons) certificates for appointments as specialist doctors.

Dr Sajida Haque and others submitted in the petitions that they have applied for vacancies under the categories of orthopaedic surgeons, skin specialists and urologist under the rural quota.

Their counsel Saulat Rizvi submitted that the petitioners obtained the highest marks, but they were not inducted and rejection letters states that their qualification of MCPS is not recognized by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

The counsel however referred to letter of the PMDC which stated that MCPS qualification is recognized by the PMDC. The counsel submitted that other candidates have been appointed illegally.

The court was requested to declare that for all practical purposes the MCPS certificate awarded by the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Pakistan, to the petitioners is a postgraduate diploma, thus their rejection is illegal and to direct the SPSC to treat the petitioners eligible for the vacant posts accepting their MCPS diploma as per eligibility criteria.

A high court division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Faisal Kamal Alam, after the preliminary hearing of the petitions, issued notices to the SPSC, PMDC and others and called their comments on April 23.

The court also observed that any appointment against the rural quota will be subject to the outcome of the proceedings. Separately, the Sindh High Court restrained the incharge judge of the anti-terrorism court to hear the bail application of accused in a murder case.

Applicant Hunain Tariq filed the transfer application submitting that Barkat Ali Lashari was involved in the murder cae of Aqib Hussain Shahani, a son of then district and sessions judge, and the present incharge judge has already said in his opinion that he is going to decide the bail application in favour of the accused.

A single bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro issued notices to the prosecutor general and others and ordered that till the next date of the hearing, the incharge judge shall not proceed with the bail application of the accused.

The SHC had earlier dismissed the appeals of a former district and sessions judge and a co-accused, who were sentenced to death by the trial court in a case pertaining to honour killing.

Sikandar Ali Lashari, a former district and sessions judge, and co-accused Mohammad Irfan Khan were sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court that had found them guilty of murdering the young son of another district and sessions judge in Hyderabad.

According to the prosecution, the former judge instructed the co-appellant and three absconding co-accused -- Ghulam Abbas Siyal, Barkat Lashari and Morchan -- to murder Aaqib Hussain Shahani, son of another district and sessions judge, as he came to know about the love affair of his daughter with Shahani.

The prosecution alleged that Irfan and the absconding co-accused killed Shahani on February 19, 2014, while he was travelling with his family near the Wapda sports complex in Hyderabad.