SHC issues notices to municipal commissioner, others on contempt plea

The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Karachi municipal commissioner and others on a contempt of court application filed by the interim principal of the Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC) over violation of court orders.

The applicant, Prof Dr Nargis Anjum, submitted that the court had granted status quo on her plea against the appointment of Dr Syed Nurul Haq as principal of KMDC.

However, she submitted that the alleged contemnor, Dr Haq, misinterpreted the court orders and took charge as KMDC principal on January 3 in violation of the court’s directives. She requested the court to take action against the alleged contemnors for flouting court orders.

To this plea, the SHC division bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi issued notices to the alleged contemnors, including the municipal commissioner for Karachi and Dr Haq, calling in their comments on January 9. In the meantime, the court directed the alleged contemnors to strictly implement its order in letter and spirit.

Dr Anjum had moved the court against handing over against handing over of the post of KMDC principal to a junior professor. The petitioner submitted that she was handed over charge of Karachi Medical and Dental College principal on September 3, 2015 during the leave period of Prof Waqar Kazmi and was directed to continue work as principal with immediate effect.

She challenged the KMC commissioner’s order on December 29, 2017 which, in supersession of all previous orders, relieved the petitioner from the principal’s post and appointed Prof Dr Syed Nurul Haq, who was number 29 on the seniority list.

Her counsel, Zakir Leghari, submitted that the rank of the petitioner as the most senior officer of the college was not considered for malafide intentions and to accommodate a junior officer. He submitted that the petitioner was entitled to be appointed KMDC principal but a junior officer had been picked in a decision that was not transparent and not based on merit.

The lawyer further submitted that as per the regulations of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, only the most senior professor may be appointed as principal and the respondent professor lacked the requisite qualification.