Fake accounts case: SC constitutes medical team to examine Anwar Majeed, son

Medical team to be headed by Surgeon General of Pakistan Lt General Zahid Hameed

Rejecting concerns of the Sindh government and their counsels, the top court has ordered the Surgeon General of Pakistan to form a medical board to examine health conditions of Anvar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed, allegedly involved in fake accounts case, and submit a report in 5 days.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday took the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea seeking direction for establishing a high-powered medical board to determine veracity of claims about ill health of the father-son duo.

Anvar, chairman of the Omni Group of Companies, and his son Ghani were arrested by the FIA on the premises of the Supreme Court on Aug 15 and are still under detention for their alleged involvement in the Rs35 billion fake accounts case. The FIA told the court that Anvar and Ghani were sent to judicial lock-up after their arrest.

However, due to his ‘fast deteriorating health’ Anvar was admitted to the National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases whereas Ghani was admitted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, due to abdominal pain and high blood pressure, said the FIA in its application.

The application also highlighted that the JPMC director through a letter on Sept 6 requested for setting up of a board of doctors, but the Sindh health department through its Sept 11 letter declined the request and advised that the doctor who was treating the patient could decide his course of treatment.

In all fairness and justice, the FIA application argued, the Supreme Court might order forming a high-powered medical board to look into the claims of deterioration in health conditions of the accused



Case history

During the hearing on Monday, when the chief justice said the court may transfer the accused persons to Islamabad for medical check, Ayesha Hamid, their counsel, objected that the competent court has the authority to form a board and that the apex court should not intervene in the matter.

She also wondered why court is asking ‘Punjabi doctors’ to examine the accused persons. “Don’t bring provincialism into this matter,” said Justice Umar Ata Bandial, a member of the bench.

Sindh Advocate General Salman Talibuddin said if the court forms medical board then it will be presumed that the apex court does not trust the Sindhi doctors.  However, the bench asked Surgeon General of Pakistan to form an independent medical board and submit report within five days.