The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Saturday reiterated that the incumbent Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) executive committee, including the president and the vice president, was not notified by the government and were illegal.
“The executive committee has not been notified by the federal government. If they got themselves notified from someplace else, it doesn’t legally notify their designations,” Ministry of National Director General Dr Jehanzeb Aurakzai told The Express Tribune.
“We submitted our reply to the National Assembly and we stand by it. The matter is also in court,” Aurakzai said.
Earlier, the PMDC, in a statement, had stated that the executive had been appropriately notified in the official gazette.
“President Masood Hameed Khan and Vice President Syed Awais have been notified in the Gazette of Pakistan. As per gazette notification, Hameed Khan and Awais have been elected as president and vice president of the PMDC respectively. A six-member executive committee is also notified.
These include Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Azam Yousafani, Isra University VC Ghulam Qadir Kazi, Khyber Medical University VC Muhammad Hafizullah, Gandhara University Post Graduate Dental Education Dean Abdus Salam, Bolan Medical College Department of Urology head Saadat Khan and Dr Khurshid Ahmed Nasim a registered dental practitioner in Islamabad. Office bearers of the council will serve their tenure for two to four years,” said a statement issued by Hina Shaukat, chief public relations officer of the PMDC.
The document sent by the PMDC, however, does no bear any stamp or signatures.
“This is not a notification. All registered associations, organisations can get their names in the Gazette of Pakistan notified by paying a certain fee,” said an official at the ministry.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2014.