Chief secretary ordered to restore MS

LAHORE: Punjab Service Tribunal on Monday expressed displeasure over attitude of secretary specialised healthcare & medical education and directed Punjab chief secretary to take disciplinary action against the officer and restore Dr Syed Numan Matloob to the post of Medical Superintendent Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

PST Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar Khan was hearing an appeal against transfer/removal of Dr Matloob from the post of MS. The court had suspended transfer order on October 31, 2017 but Mr Najam Shah was flouting court’s order on one or the other pretext. On previous hearing, the court had given last opportunity to Najam Shah for restoration of Dr Matloob as MS of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and warned him to face the consequences in case he declined to abide by court’s order.

At the outset of the hearing, legal adviser of department informed the court that Mr Najam Shah is not willing to enforce court’s order. The appellant’s counsel argued that Mr Najam Shah considered himself the administrative head of department and is adamant that no court could change his decision.

The court observed in its order that despite repeated opportunities, court order about restoration of Dr Matloob had not been implemented by Najam Shah. “Such an unbecoming and contemptuous attitude on the part of a high rank government functionary to the rank of secretary to the Punjab government is neither acceptable nor it can be spared. The same is a question mark on the good governance in province,” the judge wrote in order.