Court stays procedure for doctors’ promotion in LRH

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday stayed the procedure for the promotion of doctors in the Lady Reading Hospital under the newly introduced Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Reforms Act till next order of the court.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Syed Afsar Shah stayed the promotion under the MTI. It sought reply from the Board of Governors (BoG) before the next hearing.

The bench issued the stay order in a writ petition filed by Assistant Associate Professor Dr Majid Paracha and others through their lawyer Zartaj Anwar. The lawyer submitted that the petitioners were serving as assistant and associate professors in the LRH. He submitted the government had linked their promotions to the MTI law.

The counsel said the petitioners had been asked that with the promotion, their seniority would end and they would not be entitled to carry out private practice.  He pointed out that the promotion would be considered fresh appointment, which was unlawful and unconstitutional.

In the writ petition, the doctors prayed the court to declare this procedure under the MTI law as unlawful and against the constitution. After preliminary hearing, the bench stayed the procedure for promotion of doctors under the MTI law. It issued notice to the BoG of the hospital submit reply and explain position as whether the procedure was adopted under the law or not.

Separately, another bench comprising Justice Nisar Hussain and Justice Roohul Amin Khan issued direction to the government to promote Dr Iqbal Begum to BPS-21, who is a gynecologist at the Hayatabad Medical Complex.

During hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer, Ijaz Anwar, submitted that Dr Iqbal Begum was serving as professor in grade-20. He said the federal government had upgraded professors in medical colleges and universities to grade-21.

The lawyer said the petitioner was ignored in promotion to grade-21 with the only reason that she had spent some time abroad and that period was not counted in her job period.  He prayed the court to direct the government to promote the petitioner to grade-21 as she was entitled to promotion.