16 Lady Reading Hospital doctors hold dual nationalities

Officials say data has been sent to the establishment department

PESHAWAR: As the apex court takes suo motu notice of officers with dual nationalities working in federal and provincial government departments, it has emerged that over a dozen doctors working at a government-run hospital in Peshawar hold dual nationalities.

The discovery was made by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health institutions who have been collecting data about their employees, specifically on doctors, who hold dual nationalities.

According to officials at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), a detailed investigation was carried out into whether doctors had dual nationalities. Those suspected to hold passports other than that of Pakistan were questioned along with their families, including spouse and children.

“It took time but what we have come up with, is confirmed,” a senior LRH official dealing with the matter told The Express Tribune, adding that a majority of those found to possess dual nationalities, were those who had returned to the country and had recently joined the facility.

He stated that almost all the doctors were questioned but the administration found that 16 officials were dual nationals.

“We have confirmed that 16 doctors including 15 men and a lady doctor at LRH held dual nationalities,” a senior official at LRH confirmed.



The official, who requested anonymity since he was not entitled to talk to media, stated that a female doctor, her husband and her son were all dual nationals. Another female doctor, while she did not possess dual nationality herself, her son held dual nationality.

LRH administration officials stated that 11 doctors, including professors and associated professors, carried British nationality. Five others were both, Pakistani and Irish nationals.

The LRH official said that this list has been sent to the concerned officials for further processing.

According to human resource officials at the hospital, the government claims to have enticed doctors living abroad to return to the country and work at the LRH. However, it was never disclosed whether the doctors, who had joined LRH [from abroad], ever gave up their dual nationality.



He also stated that Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) do not fall within the jurisdiction of the health department. Rather, they were autonomous bodies, which is why the data was being shared with the establishment department and the federal investigation authority.

Separately, around eight officials of the health department were also found to have dual nationality.

“We have our own data and the details have been shared with health secretariat,” a senior health official said as he confirmed that MTIs had sent their data to the establishment.



“As far as the MTI employees are concerned, the details have been shared with establishment department.”

The apex court had on January 17 taken a suo motu notice of officers with dual nationalities serving in federal and provincial government departments. It has emerged that a Lahore High Court (LHC) and a Sindh High Court (SHC) judge also hold dual nationalities.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2018.