PHC suspends dissolution of MTI Policy Board

Humayun Khan
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) has suspended dissolution of Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) policy by caretaker government decision and ordered to submit reply while adjourned further hearing till 17th April, on Tuesday.
PHC’s divisional bench comprised of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice SM Attique Shah heard writ regarding dissolution of MTI policy Board by Muhammad Tahir along with other board members while Shumail Ahmad Butt and Ali Gohar Advocates argued the case before court on behalf of petitioners.
The counsel argued that petitioners are appointed as Policy Board Members after MTI Reforms Act 2015 while Secretary Health has forwarded summary for dissolution of MTI board which is approved by caretaker government on 28th March. They added that members are appointed for three years by Search and Nomination Committee.
On 26th January 2022 provincial government has appointed the petitioners as members Policy Board while on 8th October 2021 Dr. Ghazala Mahmood but the board has dissolved without completing its timeframe of three years.
The petition stated that Policy Board has initiated reforms on larger scale in MTI hospitals including new construction, provision of modern facilities& equipment, renovation and to uplift public sector hospital and requested to ensure that Policy Board should complete stipulated timeframe.
The counsel argued that caretaker government has no jurisdiction to dissolve MTI Policy Board while added that Election Commission of Pakistan has imposed ban transfer-posting from 22nd January. The counsel added that it is matter record that Chief Secretary and Secretary health has opposed dissolution MTI policy board but the petitioners were de-notified against the law and constitution.
Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amir Javeed appeared before court and assured submission of reply while Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim remarked that caretaker government didn’t working in their jurisdiction but busy to work beyond their jurisdiction.
The divisional bench of PHC comprising of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice SM Attiques suspended dissolution of MTI Policy Board while ordered caretaker government to submit reply and adjourned further hearing till 17th April.

Court suspends by-election schedule on three NA seats

PESHAWAR (PPI): The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday suspended the April 30 by-election schedule on three National Assembly seats. As per details, the Court announced the short verdict, reserved before on by-election in three National Assembly seats and issued notices to the respondents. Earlier, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notification of holding by-elections on 24 NA seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Peshawar High Court was moved by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf seeking the suspension of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s by-election schedule on 24 NA seats, slated to be held on March 16 and 19. The by-elections were scheduled to be held in the constituencies of NA-4 Swat, NA-17 Haripur, NA-18 Swabi, NA-25 and NA-26 Nowshera, NA-32 Kohat, NA-38 Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) and NA-43 Khyber. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had announced resignations from the National Assembly on April 11 last year, minutes before the election of Shehbaz Sharif as the new prime minister. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s notification regarding the acceptance of PTI MNAs’ resignations from Islamabad. The LHC also suspended the order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that denotified the party’s lawmakers elected from Punjab.