Sindh’s appeal rejected: Control of three main Karachi hospitals to remain with Centre, rules SC

Sindh wanted JPMC, NICVD and NICH under provincial control in line with 18th Amendment provisions

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by the Sindh government pertaining to the 18th Amendment and maintained that control of Karachi's Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) and National Institute of Child Health (NICH) will remain with the federal government, Express News reported.

Announcing the judgement, the apex court rejected the appeal – asking for the transfer of the medical facilities to the province – and stated that the control of the government-run hospitals would remain with the federal government. The short order was read out by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar.

In an earlier hearing, Justice Nisar had observed that there was no legal bar on the federal government from establishing hospitals in the provincial territory, adding that location was not relevant in this regard.



The chief justice had wondered as to why there was no debate on the 18th Constitutional Amendment before its passage in the Parliament.

He further questioned whether the federal government could not run a school or hospital in the provinces.

After the approval of the 18th Amendment, the transfer of Jinnah hospital from the federal to the Sindh government was challenged.

The Sindh High Court had also deemed the transfer illegal and had instructed the hospital to continue working under the federal government