Charge of influencing case: SC suspends VC, summons governor’s son

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought personal appearance of Punjab Governor Rafiq Rajwana’s son Asif Rajwana for interfering in admission of a medical student in a private medical college in defiance of court order.

The court also suspended Faisalabad Medical University VC Dr Fareed Zafar and issued a show-cause notice to him for calling and sending text messages to a woman lawyer in connection with admission offer in Continental Medical College, Lahore, to a student who was earlier refused admission. Dr Zafar was present in the courtroom.

A two-member bench led by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar was hearing a suo motu notice taken on fee structure and admission criteria of private medical colleges at the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry. Justice Ijazul Ahsan was the other member of the bench.

As the VC tried to explain his position, the chief justice snubbed him, directing a police officer to take him into custody. However at the same moment, he barred the police and questioned to the VC, “Why did you call her? Did you contact the governor’s son for calling the lady and made admission offer of the student?”

He stopped Dr Zafar from performing his duties as VC till further orders and also ordered the court staffer to immediately contact the governor’s son to appear in person.

Expressing annoyance over violation of stay order regarding further admission in private medical colleges, Chief Justice Nisar asked the VC did he call her for admission of the student after a woman Anjum Hameed told the court that she had received calls and text messages from him (Dr Zafar) as well as Asif Rajwana for admission of her neighbour’s son.

Punjab Advocate General Shakilur Rehman, LHC Registrar Khursheed Anwar Rizvi, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Registrar Dr Waseem Qureshi and a UHS representative were present there.

During the hearing, the court also restrained the PMDC from accrediting new medical and dental colleges till further orders.

The chief justice warned if financial irregularities were found in the affiliation of colleges, the matter would be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for investigation.

He also summoned CEO of Rashid Latif Medical College along with affidavit, bank record, fee charged from the students and the map of the buildings as to how it was approved. He also summoned Lahore Development Authority DG along with complete record of the Rashid Latif Hospital’s building located on the Ferozepur Road.

The chief justice also expressed serious concerns over absence of uniformity in admission criteria of private medical colleges and setting up their own standards. He observed that why a son of a poor citizen could not become doctor if he was intelligent. “I have been told that such doctors are being produced who even don’t know how to check blood pressure,” he remarked.

“What we have earned and learned over the years, it is the right time to pay back to our next generations. The time has come to remove all flaws and protect the fundamental rights of people,” he said.

Representatives and CEOs of Fatima Memorial Hospital, Continental Medical College, Shalimar Hospital, Azra Naheed Medical College, Pak Medical and Dental College, Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College and University of Lahore appeared before the court and informed the bench about the student strength, fees and the facilities provided to the local and international students.

However, no one was there to represent Sharif Medical Complex and Amna Medical College. On it, the chief justice asked the PMDC representative that who was the owner of Sharif Medical Complex. The bench directed the owners of Rashid Latif’s hospital, Amina Medical College and Sharif Medical Complex to appear in person along with affidavits and record of their colleges’ affairs on Thursday (today).

UHS’s Prof Dr Faisal Masood presented a report on the last three years merit and comparative analysis of the performance of King Edward Medical College University before the bench. However, a PMDC representative told the bench that Pakistan’s medical degrees were questioned in the US and a suggestion was given to ban on Pakistani doctors’ practice in the US.

The chief justice remarked he wanted quality medical education, observing, “I came to know that there are certain universities which do everything from admission to the exams and their all students get pass.”

He remarked that the situation was getting alarming but no one would be allowed to do injustice with intelligent students who could not afford hefty fee of private medical colleges.

The bench directed the LHC registrar to present all cases pending before the Lahore High Court or before any court within three days. The bench adjourned the hearing for a week except for the owners of Rashid Latif Medical College, Sharif Medical Complex and Amna Medical College who were directed to appear before the court on Thursday (today).

Earlier, the PMDC representative told the bench that a Central Admission Policy was introduced to uplift the standard of medical education in the country, however, a stay order was issued on it and all the varsities and colleges had completed their admissions.