PMDC to cooperate with NAB in inquiry

Islamabad: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has offered cooperation to the National Accountability Bureau in probe into the alleged corruption in the registration of private medical colleges.

The NAB Executive Board meeting presided over by Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal had authorised an inquiry against the health minister and former PMDC president Dr Shabbir Lehri into the complaint of alleged corruption in the re-organisation of 12 private medical colleges and other PMDC affairs.

First the health minister publicly assured the NAB of her cooperation in the inquiry saying the ministry will provide all required documents NAB if required by it from the ministry, and now, the PMDC has announced it will help the anti-graft body do the job.

“Though we've learned about the NAB medical colleges recognition inquiry from newspapers, the bureau will be provided with all sought-after information and documents,” PMDC spokesperson Hina Shaukat Kiani told ‘The News’.

The spokesperson parried question about the fate of former PMDC president Dr Shabbir Lehri's membership of the current adhoc committee, saying the organisation will decide about the matter only after the NAB formally informs it about the inquiry.

The Supreme Court had dissolved the 35-member Council last month replacing it with a nine-member adhoc council headed by one of its former judges, Shakirullah Jan to manage the PMDC affairs in accordance with the relevant laws.