KMC commissioner's comments sought on contempt plea

Bench directs municipal corporation's law officer to submit comments by January 18

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) allowed on Thursday time to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) authorities to file comments on a contempt application filed by the interim principal of the Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC) over alleged violation of court orders.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, directed KMC's law officer to submit comments on behalf of the authorities concerned by January 18.

The former principal of KMDC, Prof Dr Nargis Anjum, had approached the court last week seeking contempt of court order proceedings against the KMC commissioner and others.

She told the judges that the court had granted status quo on her plea against the appointment of Dr Syed Nurul Haq as principal of KMDC.

However, she said that the alleged contemnor, Dr Haq, while misinterpreting the court orders took charge as KMDC principal on January 3 in violation of the court's directives. Therefore, the court was pleaded to pass appropriate orders against the alleged contemnors for flouting the court orders.

On the last hearing, the SHC bench had issued notices to the municipal commissioner and Dr Haq, directing them to file their comments by January 9. In the meantime, the court had further directed the alleged contemnors to strictly implement its order in letter and spirit.



During Tuesday's proceedings, the KMC's lawyer contended that the process of new admissions to the college was suffering due to the interim order passed by the court on the last date.

However, the judges found that comments on behalf of the municipal commissioner had not been filed despite issuance of a notice.

Therefore, they told the KMC's lawyer to submit the municipal commissioner's comments by January 18.

Case history

Dr Anjum had moved the court against handing over of the KMDC principal's post to a junior professor.



The petitioner maintained that she was handed over charge of KMDC principal on September 3, 2015 during the leave period of Prof Waqar Kazmi and was directed to continue work as principal with immediate effect.

She alleged that the KMC commissioner, through his order passed on December 29, 2017 in supersession of all previous orders, relieved her from the principal's post and appointed Haq, who was number 29 on the seniority list.



Her counsel, Zakir Leghari, argued that the rank of the petitioner as the most senior officer of the college was not considered for malafide intentions to accommodate a junior officer. He submitted that the petitioner was entitled to be appointed KMDC principal but a junior officer had been picked up in a decision that lacked transparency in violation of merit.

The lawyer argued that as per the regulations of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, only the most senior professor could be appointed as principal and the respondent professor lacked the requisite qualification.