Notices to Centre, Punjab govt in PHC case

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court chief justice on Friday issued notice to federal and provincial governments on a petition challenging establishment of Punjab Healthcare Commission to regulate medical profession.

Representing a writ petition of Punjab Dental Practitioners Association, Barrister Ahmad Qayyum argued that after the 18th Amendment to the Constitution only the federal government could legislate regarding medical profession.

He said Punjab Healthcare Commission Act 2010 and entire superstructure built through it was against the Constitution.

The counsel pointed out that the commission started a crackdown on quack practitioners and with mala fide intentions, including members of the petitioner-association in Faisalabad especially. Whereas, he said, the members of the association were qualified dental hygienist or dental technicians holding registration with homeopathy council. 

Barrister Ahmad Qayyum argued that the provincial legislature had not been constitutionally competent to enact the impugned Act of 2010 and thus the same was liable to be struck down. 

Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the arguments and issued notices to the attorney general and the advocate general Punjab for February 2.

NGOs: The Lahore High Court chief justice on Friday disposed of petitions of two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) challenging a ban on their functioning after the government said the impugned orders had been withdrawn.

The law officers of federal and provincial governments stated before the court that all the restraining orders issued by the authorities concerned had been withdrawn so the grievance of the petitioners stood addressed. Muhammad Tehseen of South Asia Partnership of Pakistan (SAP-PK) and Bushra Khaliq of WISE had filed the petitions against the government’s restriction.

Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had already suspended the impugned orders of the governments allowing the organisations to continue their work. The government departments had alleged that the NGOs were involved in anti-state activities. 

The petitioner-organisations had denied the charges and called the government’s action illegal, discriminatory and based on victimisation.

Hashmi: The Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Friday dismissed as non-maintainable a petition requesting to initiate contempt of court proceeding against former minister Javed Hashmi for uttering remarks about judicial martial law in country.

An advocate Saleem Chaudhry moved the petition submitting that during sit-in movement in 2014, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan had made a deal with then chief justice to come into power. He said the PTI chairman had made a deal with then chief justice, according to which, a judicial martial law would be imposed in the country and elections would be held, after which Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf would be declared the victor. Petitioner submitted that by uttering these marks, Javed Hashmi had become guilty of contempt of court and as such had committed contempt of court.