The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has adjourned the hearing of a case, on Friday against the presidential notification that dissolved Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) till December 31.
The high court’s Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani resumed the hearing of the case challenging the presidential order for dissolution of PMDC. The Ministry of Law and Justice submitted its response in the court.
The lawyer representing Pakistan Medical Commission told the judge that a bill related to PMC has been passed from the National Assembly (NA) and it will be presented in the Senate. He added that it will become a law after being passed by the Upper House.
Justice Kayani questioned the status of six-month salaries to the employees. To this, former PMDC employees apprised the court that salaries were not paid to all employees.
However, the arguments session did not commence today from both parties.
The court summoned record of salary payments and adjourned the hearing till December 31.
On October 30, the presidential ordinance that dissolved the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had been challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
A single bench of the high court comprises of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the petition.
The bench issued notices to the Secretary to the President, secretaries of the Ministry of Law and the Cabinet Division and others and called their reply over the matter.
The court also issued orders for payment of salaries to employees of the PMDC.
The petition said that the PMDC was dissolved by a presidential ordinance on Oct. 21.
The petitioner sought the court’s order to revoke the presidential ordinance and restoration of the council’s employees on their jobs.
The petitioner also pleaded the court to forbid the government from any action against the PMDC employees.
The court adjourned further hearing of the case until November 08.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, the statutory regulatory authority that oversaw medical and dental colleges in Pakistan, was dissolved following a presidential ordinance proclaimed on October 21.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed a petition filed against the ban on usage of social media by the government employees.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah presided over the plea filed by a citizen named Awais through his counsel Advocate Mian Asif.
The court dismissed the petition on the basis of non-compliance as the applicant’s lawyer did not appear before the court during the hearing.
The petitioner stated in the plea that the decision affected the right of freedom of expression awarded in the Constitution and contended that the public servants around the world use social media sites for public connectivity.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of Interior issued a notification on Dec 16 banning government officials’ social media accounts. It stated: “The minister for interior has directed that no officer/official should interact with media (print/electronic) nor upload any official’s view/comment on social media or any other channel of information, except with the formal and written approval of the secretary interior or head of the attached department/organisation, as the case may be.”
